Evolution and Antibotic Resistance

Evolution and Antibiotic Resistance

Staphylococcus aureus strains have changed drastically overtime and due to the evolution of bacteria strain. However, what use to work is no longer effective in controlling the effects it has on the body and its system. The resistance to antibiotics has been in large due to the fact of the complex genetic arrays. Staphylococcus aureus make their home in the skin and nasal passages of the body, which causes a great breakdown and damage to the weakening areas under attack including death. The antibiotics that worked 70 years ages ago are no longer effective to the staphylococcus aureus. Horizontal DNA transfer and horizontal genes transfer are contributors to the more resistant traits in staphylococcus aureus, while endogenous resistance has taken a major role by providing routes in clinical settings.

As early as the 1960's, when methicillin was the antibiotic of choice, staphylococcus aureus developed resistance to that antibiotic, although it was charmed to be specific in counteracting it. Some strains of the staphylococcus aureus proved that it was interchangeable and hard to overcome penicillin and the MRSA was slow in spreading until the 1980's, where it began to pull up speed. It was noted as major nosocomial pathogen until 1999, when a new strain that caused serious infection in children and young adults became prevalent and was referred to as (CA) MRSA. (Pantosti, Sanchini, & Monaco, M 2007). It differed to MRSA in being that it was not multi resistant, bares a different genetic element for methicillin resistance and carried a toxin that was contributory to the severity of (CA) MRSA infections. The strains are also, referred to as being more virulent and less antibiotic resistant.

VISA and VRSA have emerged from MRSA although VRSA does not progress from VISA and their resistance mechanisms are completely different. VISA's the cleaned cell wall that blocks vancomycin in the external layer and diverts the antibiotic from getting where it needs to be. VRSA is high-level vancomycin resistant, and its mechanism of resistance is understood, as opposed to being elusive in VISA.

Throughout history antibiotics have been used for illness and to prevent from illness, and even some to undo antibiotics. They have also been used to transfer genes and traits from one place to another. Staphylococcus aureus has the ability to quickly adjust to the changing environment, such as healthcare facilities and hospitals by overcoming antibiotic activity with different types of resistance mechanism. Over a period of time antibiotics has gotten stronger, and gradually gets better.