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To: neverdem
"These bugs are acquiring resistance all the time through spontaneous mutations, plasmid acquired genes, etc. especially under prolonged treatment whether it's from monthlong courses for bacterial endocarditis, osteomyelitis, really prolonged acne treatment or controversial Lyme disease recommendations."

Sorry, but I still don't believe that a long SINGLE CONTINUOUS COURSE can cause bacteria to develop antibiotic resistance. ALL bacteria acquire resistance through spontaneous mutations, acquired genes, etc. but please explain how they do so IF YOU'VE KILLED THEM ALL, and then continue the antibiotics in a continuous dose after they're all dead. The problem is FAR more likely from folks who DON'T actually take a single continous course, but "think they're recovered" but actually have NOT killed all the bugs, have symptoms flare up, and then re-start the antibiotics. Or doing stupid things like adding antibiotics to animal feed as a "preventative".

25 posted on 06/11/2006 5:01:57 AM PDT by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel-NRA)
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To: Wonder Warthog
ALL bacteria acquire resistance through spontaneous mutations, acquired genes, etc. but please explain how they do so IF YOU'VE KILLED THEM ALL, and then continue the antibiotics in a continuous dose after they're all dead.

That's just it. Antibacterial antibiotics don't kill them all. They interfere with basic cellular processes. They have been divided into two main classes, bactericidal and bactertiostatic. Don't ask me who made or why this classification was made. I'm not a microbiologist.

Those that are in the beta lactam class, i.e. the penicillins and cephalosporins, inhibit bacterial cell wall synthesis, and they are usually called bactericidal, even though they are not killing the organism, just inhibiting the growth of cell walls of new bugs.

Most of the drugs mentioned on the previous acne link are bactertiostatic which inhibit protein synthesis at various ribosomes. Drugs like Cipro, in the class called flouroquinolones, inhibit DNA gyrase, the enzyme that bacteria need to uncoil its DNA prior to replication.

These drugs are not killing. They just inhibit basic functions needed to replicate. Literal killing is only done by a reasonably intact immune system.

26 posted on 06/11/2006 10:58:44 AM PDT by neverdem (May you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows that you're dead.)
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