Final answer:
The correct term for bacteria that have developed the ability to withstand antibiotic treatments is 'resistance.' This resistance arises from misuse and overuse of antibiotics, leading to natural selection of resilient bacterial strains and posing a significant threat to global health.
Step-by-step explanation:
The development of antibiotic resistance is a serious threat to global health. It compromises the effectiveness of treatments against various infections caused by bacteria.
When bacteria become resistant, infections that were once easily treatable with standard antibiotics can become challenging to manage and may lead to worse clinical outcomes or even death.
Bacterial antibiotic resistance emerges for several reasons.
Firstly, antibiotics are sometimes overprescribed and used unnecessarily.
Secondly, patients may not complete their prescribed course of treatment, effectively allowing some bacteria to survive and evolve resistance.
The misuse and over-use of antibiotics have accelerated the evolution of resistant strains, making certain infections very difficult to treat.