Question

More reflections on Patient 23

After taking antibiotics, Patient 23 felt well again but a few weeks later was ill again with stomach pains, diarrhea, and bloating. His microbiome analysis showed he had an infection of C. difficile bacteria. Why this second infection happened is an interesting question.

Here is a possible claim to answer that question: Living things with fewer than normal helpful bacteria in their guts can become infected more easily than those with normal microbiomes.

Which evidence below is strong evidence to support this claim?

Group of answer choices

Both healthy humans and healthy mice have mostly the same type of bacteria in their microbiome.

Mice with low-bacteria gut microbiomes all got really sick when ingesting Salmonella while normal gut microbiome mice rarely got really sick when ingesting Salmonella.

Mice can be bred to have no bacteria in their gut microbiome.

Antibiotics reduce the number of helpful and harmful bacteria in the microbiome.

Answer 1

Answer: Antibiotics reduce the number of helpful and harmful bacteria in the microbiome.

Step-by-step explanation:

While antibiotics are able to kill the bacteria that is causing harm to a normal immune system, it is unable to only seek out the single type of bacteria. Instead, the antibiotics kill all bacteria. This means you have a reduction in the number of helpful bacterial as well.