Desreveaux, Anne (2021) Fatal Attraction: How the Overuse of Colistin led to the Evolution of Colistin Resistance. Master's Thesis / Essay, Ecology and Evolution.
|
Text
mEE_2021_DesreveauxA.pdf Download (610kB) | Preview |
|
![[img]](https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/style/images/fileicons/text.png) |
Text
toestemming.pdf Restricted to Registered users only Download (123kB) |
Abstract
Antibiotics resistance is a worldwide problem, with numerous bacterial infections having already become very challenging to treat. Colistin, a last-resort antibiotic, is often used in case of infection by a multiple resistant bacterial strain. However, an increasing amount of bacteria previously susceptible to colistin have been showing resistance against it, which endangers human and animal health. This essay aimed at reviewing existing literature about colistin resistance and using this information to clarify the evolution of colistin resistance, how it started, what mechanisms are responsible for it and how it can be transferred to humans. Furthermore, literature was also used to investigate what can be done to reduce colistin resistance and how to prevent it from spreading in the future. It was found that the excessive use of colistin in human medicine and animal husbandry practices are the main reasons for the increase in colistin resistance. Bacteria can evolve colistin resistance in their genome, but it can also be acquired through horizontal gene transfer. The horizontally transferred genes are most common in animal husbandry practices, and, by consuming contaminated food, humans can be infected or colistin resistance can be transferred to humans via the human gut microbiome. Most important now is avoiding the further evolution and dispersal of colistin resistant bacterial strains by reducing the use of colistin and limiting it to the essential cases.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master's Thesis / Essay) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Vos, M.G.J. de and Eldijk, T.J.B. van |
| Degree programme: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Thesis type: | Master's Thesis / Essay |
| Language: | English |
| Date Deposited: | 02 Feb 2021 11:19 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Feb 2021 11:19 |
| URI: | https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/23889 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |