I. Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis was isolated from a foot infection of a 40-year-old man. The patient had a chronic diabetes-related foot ulcer and underwent amputation of a gangrenous toe. He subsequently developed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. The infection was treated with vancomycin. One week later, he developed a vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) infection. This is the first case of VRSA in the U.S. a. What is the most likely source of the VRSA? (2pts) b. How do you know this and explain what might have happened? (2pts) c. Why would doctors be concerned? Explain. (2pts) d. Explain one mechanism of antibiotic resistance among bacteria. (2pts) e. What practices encourage the development of antibiotic-resistant pathogens? Briefly discuss 2 practices. (2pts)
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The most likely source of the VRSA is the patient's previous infection with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). b. We know this because the patient was already infected with vancomycin-resistant Show more…
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Using this information, write an answer to the following questions: 1. If a patient is colonized with MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and they subsequently get impetigo caused by Staphylococcus aureus (no methicillin resistance), what could happen between the bacteria? How would this be problematic? 2. A patient is suffering from an Enterococci infection, and the bacteria causing the infection are resistant to vancomycin (VRE). This is an infection that causes diarrhea because the bacteria infect the small intestine. Given that the human intestinal tract contains normal microbiota, what could you see happening if this were to occur? Discuss how this could be a problem if it occurred in a health care setting, like a nursing home or hospital.
Supreeta N.
Within six months of effectively using methicillin to treat S. aureus infections in a community, all new $S$. aureus infections were caused by a resistant strain (MRSA). How can this best be explained? (A) A patient must have become infected with MRSA from another community. (B) In response to the drug, $S .$ aureus began making drugresistant versions of the protein targeted by the drug. (C) Some drug-resistant bacteria were present at the start of treatment, and natural selection increased their frequency. (D) S. aureus evolved to resist vaccines.
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