Antibiotic exposure can 'prime' single-resistant bacteria to become multidrug-resistant

(University of Washington) Researchers at the University of Washington and the University of Idaho report that, for a bacterial pathogen already resistant to an antibiotic, prolonged exposure to that antibiotic not only boosted its ability to retain its resistance gene, but also made the pathogen more readily pick up and maintain resistance to a second antibiotic and become a dangerous, multidrug-resistant strain.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news