Question

what do the following infections have in common: periodontitis, recurrent tonsillitis, chronic otitis media, and osteomyelitis?choose one:a. they are easily cleared by the host's defenses.b. they are caused by the same bacterial species.c. they are caused by bacterial biofilms.d. they respond well to antimicrobial drugs.

Answer 1

Periodontitis, recurrent tonsillitis, chronic otitis media, and osteomyelitis are all caused by bacterial biofilms, complex bacterial communities that are difficult to treat due to their resistance to antibiotics and the host's defenses.

Step-by-step explanation:

The infections periodontitis, recurrent tonsillitis, chronic otitis media, and osteomyelitis have in common that they are caused by bacterial biofilms. Biofilms are complex communities of bacteria that adhere to surfaces and are embedded within a protective matrix. This matrix, which can be on medical devices or human tissues such as teeth or bones, shields the bacteria from the host's immune system and antimicrobial drugs. As a result, biofilms respond poorly to most methods used to control microbial growth, including antibiotics, which they can resist up to 1,000 times more than planktonic or free-living bacteria. Once established, biofilms are very difficult to eradicate and do not resolve by host defense mechanisms, presenting significant challenges in treatment.