D. The consequences of a post-antibiotic era would be catastrophic. Routine surgeries could become life-threatening due to the risk of untreatable infections. Common illnesses such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and tuberculosis are already becoming harder to treat, leading to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs, and increased mortality. A recent study estimated that drug-resistant infections could cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050 if no action is taken, surpassing the number of deaths caused by cancer.
9. plasmids 10. MRSA 11. disease prevention (note: “disease prevention” – two words; Para D) 12. post-antibiotic era (Para E – requires hyphen but counts as two words) 13. One Health (capitalised in passage – Para F) plasmids 10
The primary driver of this crisis is the misuse and overuse of antibiotics. In human medicine, antibiotics are frequently prescribed for viral infections like the common cold, against which they are ineffective. Perhaps more alarmingly, patients often fail to complete their full course of medication. By stopping early, patients kill the weakest bacteria but leave the stronger, semi-resistant ones alive to multiply. Perhaps more alarmingly
Studying these terms will help you navigate the tricky gap-fill and multiple-choice questions: : Healing or medicinal. against which they are ineffective.