Antibiotic Resistance: Key Notes & Top 25 MCQs for UPSC Exams
Do you know that the medicines you take for everyday diseases can become ineffective one day? Yes, antibiotic resistance has become a medical emergency around the world. When bacteria learn to fight against medicines, even common infections can become fatal. This article has been specially prepared for you so that you can identify this hidden danger in time and keep yourself, your family, and society safe. Here you will get complete information about the cause, effect, preventive measures, and education and training on it.
Understanding Antibiotic Resistance
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| How Does Antibiotic Resistance Occur? | Overuse and misuse of antibiotics help bacteria adapt and become resistant. |
| Dangers and Effects | Resistant infections are harder to treat, leading to longer illness and higher risk of death. |
| How to Prevent It | Use antibiotics only when prescribed and complete the full course. |
| Situation in India | India faces high antibiotic misuse and rising cases of resistant infections. |
| Your Responsibility | Avoid self-medication and support awareness about responsible antibiotic use. |
How does antibiotic resistance happen?
When a bacterium becomes resistant to an antibiotic drug, that drug is unable to kill it. This is called antibiotic resistance.
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Consuming antibiotics when not needed gives the bacteria present in your body the power to fight, which means the medicines start becoming ineffective.
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Taking an incomplete course of medication allows bacteria to reactivate and become resistant.
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Giving drugs to animals, which makes them multiply rapidly, creates resistant bacteria in their bodies, which can reach humans.
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These bacteria can also spread from one person to another through dirty water and contaminated food.
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Excessive self-medication and taking medicines without consulting a doctor further aggravate this problem.
What are the dangers of antibiotic resistance?
This problem is not only a threat to health but also to social and economic sectors.
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Common infections, such as a sore throat or urinary infection, that were previously cured with a few pills can now become serious.
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Complex surgeries and cancer treatments can fail because patients are unable to fight off infections.
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Healthcare costs increase because patients have to be kept in the hospital for a long time and given expensive medicines.
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Children, the elderly, and people with weak immunity are the most affected, and infections can prove fatal for them.
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The economic progress of countries is also affected as patients are unable to work and productivity decreases.
How can you stop antibiotic resistance?
You can prevent this dangerous situation with your awareness and caution.
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Take antibiotics only on the advice of a doctor; do not stop taking the medicine on your own.
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Complete the full course, even if the symptoms are already cured, because an incomplete course makes the bacteria stronger.
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Do not take others' medicines or give your medicine to anyone, because every person's condition is different.
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Take care of hand hygiene and caution in cooking and hygiene so that bacteria do not spread.
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Get vaccinated, as it increases your immunity and reduces the chances of infection.
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Limit antibiotic use in animal husbandry; make sure the meat and milk you eat are from a safe source.
What is the antibiotic resistance problem in India?
This problem is even more serious in India because medicines are easily available here and self-medication is common.
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Over-the-counter medicines from chemists add to this problem, and everyone pretends to be a doctor.
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Antibiotics are overused in rural areas due to a serious lack of awareness.
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Irregular medication practices in government hospitals, such as prescribing antibiotics for every fever, worsen the situation.
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Poor water and sewage management, where traces of antibiotics get mixed in public water sources.
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Private hospitals, driven by profiteering, offer unnecessary tests and prescribe medicines that increase immunity.
Microbes and Types of Antibiotic Resistance
| Microbe | Type of Antibiotic Resistance |
|---|---|
| Bacteria – Escherichia coli | Commonly resists penicillins and cephalosporins. |
| Bacteria – Staphylococcus aureus | Develops MRSA, resistant to methicillin and related drugs. |
| Bacteria – Mycobacterium tuberculosis | Shows multi-drug resistance to isoniazid and rifampicin. |
| Fungi – Candida auris | Resistant to major antifungal classes like azoles and echinocandins. |
| Viruses – HIV | Can mutate and resist certain antiretroviral therapies. |
| Parasites – Plasmodium falciparum | Has shown resistance to chloroquine and artemisinin. |
What can you do about antibiotic resistance?
You are not just a patient but also a responsible citizen of society.
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Educate your family, especially children, to consult a doctor whenever they are sick.
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If the medicine is not working, tell the doctor. Repeatedly taking different medicines on your own can be dangerous.
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Adopt a healthy lifestyle so that you do not fall sick, and the need for medicines is reduced.
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Spread awareness through media and social networks. This is a social movement in which everyone's participation is necessary.
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Wash your hands before coming in contact with hospitalized patients, as there are more resistant bacteria there.
Top 25 MCQs on Antibiotic Resistance for UPSC Exams
Practice the Top 25 MCQs on Antibiotic Resistance to strengthen understanding of public health challenges, microbial mechanisms, and policy relevance, enhancing exam readiness for UPSC prelims and other competitive examinations.
1. What is the main cause of Antibiotic Resistance (AMR)?
a) Taking antibiotics for viral infections
b) Eating too much sugar
c) Lack of sleep
d) Wearing dirty clothes
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Answer: a) Taking antibiotics for viral infections
Antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses (like flu/cold). Using them incorrectly selects for resistant bacteria, which survive and multiply.
2. Who discovered Penicillin, the first true antibiotic, predicting resistance if misused?
a) Louis Pasteur
b) Alexander Fleming
c) Robert Koch
d) Edward Jenner
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Answer: b) Alexander Fleming
Fleming discovered Penicillin in 1928 and warned in his Nobel speech that under-dosing could train bacteria to become resistant.
3. Bacteria that are resistant to multiple types of antibiotics are commonly called:
a) Probiotics
b) Superbugs
c) Mega-bacteria
d) Alpha-germs
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Answer: b) Superbugs
"Superbugs" like MRSA are strains of bacteria that have mutated to become resistant to the drugs normally used to treat them.
4. What is "MRSA"?
a) A new antibiotic
b) Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
c) A viral fever
d) A fungal infection
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Answer: b) Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
It is a dangerous staph bacteria resistant to many antibiotics. It often causes severe skin infections and can be fatal in hospitals.
5. How do bacteria primarily share resistance genes with each other?
a) Through air
b) Horizontal Gene Transfer (Conjugation)
c) Sexual reproduction
d) Eating each other
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Answer: b) Horizontal Gene Transfer (Conjugation)
[Image of bacterial conjugation process]
Bacteria can connect via a tube (pilus) and swap loops of DNA called plasmids, transferring resistance traits to neighbors instantly.
6. What is the "Red Line Campaign" in India related to?
a) Traffic rules
b) Proper use of antibiotics
c) Blood donation
d) Stopping corruption
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Answer: b) Proper use of antibiotics
It mandates a vertical red line on antibiotic medicine packs, indicating they should not be sold without a doctor's prescription.
7. Using antibiotics in livestock (animals) primarily contributes to resistance by:
a) Making meat tastier
b) Transferring resistant bacteria to humans via food chain
c) Killing viruses in animals
d) Reducing animal size
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Answer: b) Transferring resistant bacteria to humans via food chain
Overuse of antibiotics to fatten healthy animals creates resistant gut bacteria, which can infect humans through meat or manure.
8. What is "NDM-1" (New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase)?
a) A new hospital in Delhi
b) An enzyme that makes bacteria resistant to broad-spectrum antibiotics
c) A government scheme
d) A new vaccine
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Answer: b) An enzyme that makes bacteria resistant to broad-spectrum antibiotics
First identified in 2008, this enzyme allows bacteria to destroy Carbapenems, which are powerful "last-resort" antibiotics.
9. Which term describes the protective slimy layer bacteria form to shield themselves from antibiotics?
a) Membrane
b) Biofilm
c) Shell
d) Skin
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Answer: b) Biofilm
[Image of bacterial biofilm formation]
Biofilms are communities of bacteria stuck to a surface (like medical implants) embedded in slime, making them 1000x harder to kill.
10. "Colistin" is considered an antibiotic of:
a) First choice
b) Last resort
c) No use
d) Daily use
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Answer: b) Last resort
Colistin is toxic but used when all other antibiotics fail. Resistance to Colistin (mcr-1 gene) is a major global health threat.
11. What is the "One Health" approach?
a) One doctor for every family
b) Integrating human, animal, and environmental health strategies
c) One medicine for all diseases
d) Only treating humans
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Answer: b) Integrating human, animal, and environmental health strategies
Since resistant bacteria spread between people, animals, and soil/water, tackling AMR requires a collaborative effort across all sectors.
12. Why is it important to finish the full course of antibiotics prescribed?
a) To save money
b) To ensure all bacteria are killed and prevent survivors from becoming resistant
c) To make the doctor happy
d) It is not important
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Answer: b) To ensure all bacteria are killed and prevent survivors from becoming resistant
Stopping early may leave behind the strongest bacteria, which then multiply and become harder to treat next time.
13. "Phage Therapy" is a potential alternative to antibiotics using:
a) Radiation
b) Viruses that specifically infect and kill bacteria (Bacteriophages)
c) Nano-robots
d) Herbal tea
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Answer: b) Viruses that specifically infect and kill bacteria (Bacteriophages)
Phages are natural enemies of bacteria. They can target specific superbugs without harming human cells or good gut bacteria.
14. The "ESKAPE" pathogens are a group of:
a) Vitamins
b) Bacteria causing the majority of hospital-acquired resistant infections
c) Fungi
d) Harmless bacteria
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Answer: b) Bacteria causing the majority of hospital-acquired resistant infections
Acronym for *Enterococcus*, *Staphylococcus*, *Klebsiella*, *Acinetobacter*, *Pseudomonas*, and *Enterobacter*, which often "escape" antibiotic effects.
15. Which WHO system monitors AMR globally?
a) GLASS (Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System)
b) VISION
c) SIGHT
d) SCOPE
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Answer: a) GLASS (Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System)
Launched in 2015, GLASS fosters standardized data collection to inform decision-making and advocacy against AMR worldwide.
16. Antibiotics are completely ineffective against:
a) Strep throat
b) Influenza (The Flu) and Common Cold
c) Urinary Tract Infections
d) Tuberculosis
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Answer: b) Influenza (The Flu) and Common Cold
These are caused by viruses. Taking antibiotics for them kills good bacteria and promotes resistance without curing the illness.
17. "Antibiotic Stewardship" programs in hospitals aim to:
a) Sell more antibiotics
b) Optimize antibiotic use to improve patient outcomes and reduce resistance
c) Manufacture drugs
d) Stop all treatment
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Answer: b) Optimize antibiotic use to improve patient outcomes and reduce resistance
It involves selecting the right drug, dose, and duration, and de-escalating treatment when possible.
18. What is the difference between "Intrinsic" and "Acquired" resistance?
a) Intrinsic is natural; Acquired is gained via mutation/gene transfer
b) No difference
c) Intrinsic is temporary
d) Acquired is harmless
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Answer: a) Intrinsic is natural; Acquired is gained via mutation/gene transfer
Some bacteria naturally lack the target for a drug (intrinsic). Others develop defense mechanisms over time (acquired).
19. "Efflux Pumps" allow bacteria to survive by:
a) Exploding the drug
b) Pumping the antibiotic out of the cell before it can work
c) Eating the drug
d) Hiding in bone
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Answer: b) Pumping the antibiotic out of the cell before it can work
[Image of antibiotic efflux pump mechanism]
Bacteria use these protein pumps to eject toxic substances (like drugs) from their interior, lowering the drug concentration inside.
20. The "Post-Antibiotic Era" refers to a hypothetical future where:
a) Antibiotics are free
b) Common infections and minor injuries can kill once again
c) Everyone is healthy
d) Bacteria don't exist
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Answer: b) Common infections and minor injuries can kill once again
If all antibiotics fail, surgeries, chemotherapy, and C-sections would become extremely dangerous due to infection risk.
21. "XDR-TB" stands for:
a) X-ray Tuberculosis
b) Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
c) Extra Drug Trial
d) Extreme Daily Treatment
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Answer: b) Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
A rare type of TB resistant to isoniazid, rifampin, fluoroquinolones, and at least one injectable second-line drug.
22. Self-medication with antibiotics is dangerous because:
a) It saves time
b) It often leads to incorrect dosing and resistance
c) It is cheaper
d) It tastes bad
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Answer: b) It often leads to incorrect dosing and resistance
Using leftover pills or buying them without a diagnosis contributes significantly to the development of resistant strains.
23. "Broad-spectrum" antibiotics should be used with caution because:
a) They are weak
b) They kill both bad and good (protective) bacteria
c) They cause hair loss
d) They are very expensive
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Answer: b) They kill both bad and good (protective) bacteria
This "carpet bombing" approach disrupts the microbiome, leaving room for resistant opportunists like *C. difficile* to grow.
24. Which test helps doctors choose the right antibiotic?
a) MRI scan
b) Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing (AST) / Culture test
c) X-ray
d) ECG
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Answer: b) Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing (AST) / Culture test
This lab test exposes the bacteria to various drugs to see which ones stop its growth, ensuring targeted treatment.
25. How does poor sanitation contribute to AMR?
a) It makes people sad
b) It facilitates the rapid spread of resistant bacteria through water and soil
c) It uses too much soap
d) It has no effect
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Answer: b) It facilitates the rapid spread of resistant bacteria through water and soil
Lack of clean water and hygiene increases infection rates, leading to higher antibiotic use and faster transmission of superbugs.
Conclusion
Antibiotic resistance is a silent crisis that can pose a threat to all of humanity if not stopped in time. It is not just the responsibility of doctors or the government, but also yours. This crisis can be overcome only when you take medicines responsibly, spread awareness, and adopt a healthy lifestyle. Remember—every small precaution can prevent a big problem.
Online Courses, Reference Books, & Websites
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