(a) Why should antibiotics not be taken indiscriminately ? Give any two reasons.

(b) It is advisable to complete the course of antibiotics as prescribed by the doctor. Justify.

Correct Answer:

(a) Bacterial infections are becoming resistant to antibacterial medications/ allow resistant bacteria (hard to kill-bad bugs) to increase in numbers faster than susceptible bacteria (easy to kill bugs) and can transfer through food chains to humans.
(b) Antibiotic may wipe out some but not all of the bacteria the surviving bacteria shall multiply / become more resistant to first-line of treatment / increasing risk of complications/increased cost associated with prolonged illness.

Detailed Explanation:

Part (a): Why antibiotics should not be taken indiscriminately

Taking antibiotics indiscriminately—such as when they are not needed, in incorrect dosages, or for viral infections against which they are completely ineffective—leads to serious health risks:

1. Development of Antibiotic Resistance: When antibiotics are used excessively or incorrectly, bacteria adapt and evolve. Bacterial infections become resistant to antibacterial medications. This selective pressure allows drug-resistant bacteria ("hard to kill-bad bugs") to survive and multiply faster than susceptible bacteria ("easy to kill bugs"), rendering standard treatments ineffective.

2. Transmission Through the Food Chain: The indiscriminate use of antibiotics, particularly in agriculture and livestock farming, causes resistant bacteria to develop in animals. These resistant strains can transfer through food chains to humans, creating widespread public health challenges where common bacterial infections become untreatable.

Part (b): Why it is advisable to complete the prescribed course of antibiotics

It is crucial to complete the entire course of antibiotics as prescribed by a physician, even if you start feeling better before finishing the medication, due to the following reasons:

1. Survival of the Fittest Bacteria: Stopping the treatment prematurely may wipe out some of the weaker, susceptible bacteria, but it leaves behind the most resilient and surviving bacteria.

2. Multiplication of Resistant Strains: The surviving, partially resistant bacteria will quickly multiply. As they reproduce, they pass on their resistant traits, making the next generation of bacteria highly resistant to the first-line of treatment.

3. Increased Risks and Costs: This leads to recurrent infections that are much harder to cure, increasing the risk of severe health complications, prolonged illness, and the associated medical costs of needing stronger, more expensive second- or third-line antibiotic treatments.