UPSC CSE Prelims
Multi-drug Resistance Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 2 — 2 and 3 only

Multi-drug resistance (MDR) in microbial pathogens arises primarily from improper antibiotic use and environmental exposure to antibiotics. Incorrect dosing and incomplete treatment courses allow resistant strains to survive and multiply, while widespread antibiotic use in livestock farming creates selection pressure for resistant bacteria that can spread to humans through the food chain.

❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: Genetic predisposition affects individual susceptibility to infections but does not cause multi-drug resistance in pathogens; resistance develops in microbes, not humans.

✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Taking incorrect doses, skipping doses, or not completing antibiotic courses allows partially resistant bacteria to survive and develop full resistance through natural selection.

✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Routine use of antibiotics in livestock for growth promotion and disease prevention creates resistant bacteria that can transfer to humans via food, direct contact, or environmental contamination.

❌ Statement 4 – Incorrect: While chronic diseases may increase infection frequency, they do not directly cause antibiotic resistance in microbial pathogens; resistance is a microbial adaptation, not a patient characteristic.

📝 Short Notes: Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

• Definition: AMR occurs when microorganisms evolve mechanisms to survive exposure to antimicrobial drugs that would normally kill them or inhibit their growth.
• Main Causes in India: Irrational use of antibiotics (self-medication, incomplete courses), over-the-counter availability without prescription, use in agriculture and aquaculture, poor infection control in healthcare settings.
• Mechanisms of Resistance: Enzymatic degradation of drugs (e.g., beta-lactamases), alteration of drug targets, reduced drug permeability, efflux pumps that expel antibiotics.
• Agricultural Connection: Antibiotics used as growth promoters in livestock create resistant bacteria; these can transfer resistance genes to human pathogens through horizontal gene transfer.
• Public Health Impact: Makes common infections harder to treat, increases healthcare costs, prolongs hospital stays, increases mortality rates.
• Government Initiatives: National Action Plan on AMR (2017), Red Line Campaign for responsible antibiotic use, regulations on antibiotic sales, AMR surveillance networks.
• WHO Priority: Listed as one of top 10 global public health threats; requires coordinated action across human health, animal health, and environmental sectors (One Health approach).