Question

Antibiotics meant for poultry reach the human gut.

Read the following statements (i-iv) and choose the option which identifies the correct statements.

i. Contaminated water containing faecal matter having antibiotic resistant bacteria gets leached into water for irrigation.

ii. There are no antibiotics for Salmonella, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus, and Escherichia coli which infect farm animals

iii. Drug resistant bacteria remain on the meat when undercooked

iv. Increasing number of farmers are indiscriminately treating farm animals bred for human consumption with antibiotics

• A. i, ii and iii
• B. ii and iv
• C. i, iii, iv
• D. i, ii, iii and iv

Answer 1

The correct option is C i, iii, iv

The excessive use of antibiotics in farm animals leads to the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antibiotic resistance in bacteria refers to bacteria’s increasing adaptability and capability to withstand the action of antibiotics.

Antibiotics are potent drugs designed to fight bacterial infections and antibiotics are available for infections caused by Salmonella, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus, and Escherichia coli species of bacteria.

With commercial production of raising farm animals for human consumption, an increasing number of farmers are indiscriminately treating farm animals bred for human consumption with antimicrobial drugs.

As a result, not only the drug resistant bacteria remain on the meat when undercooked, but contaminated water containing faecal matter gets leached into water for irrigation carrying drug resistant bacteria along with it.

This reaches the gastrointestinal tract of humans and these bacteria may cause complicated, untreatable, and prolonged infections in humans. Being antibiotic resistant, such bacteria can even be fatal sometimes causing death.