Sublethal Antibiotic Doses Generate Multidrug Resistance Superbugs

Thursday, February 11, 2010 - 15:56 in Health & Medicine

When administered in lethal levels, antibiotics trigger a fatal chain reaction within  bacteria that shreds the cell's DNA. But, when the level of antibiotic is less than lethal the same reaction causes DNA mutations that are not only survivable, but actually protect the bacteria from numerous antibiotics beyond the one it was exposed to, says a new study recently published in Molecular Cell. The findings underscore the potentially serious consequences to public health of administering antibiotics in low or incomplete doses. read more

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