Antibiotic resistance arises when bacteria evolve mechanisms to survive drugs that previously killed them. Hospital infections that were routinely treated 50 years ago now sometimes resist all available antibiotics. The pace at which new antibiotics are developed has slowed dramatically, in part because the financial return on antibiotic research is far smaller than for medications treating chronic conditions taken daily over many years.
Which conclusion most logically follows from the passage?
- A
Bacteria are unable to evolve in response to medical interventions
- B
The antibiotic-resistance problem is purely a biological issue with no economic dimension
- C
New antibiotics are being developed faster than ever before
- Dcheck_circle
Some forces shaping antibiotic availability operate outside the laboratory itself
Explanation
The mention of financial returns and slowed development supports B. A contradicts the economic factor; C and D contradict explicit statements.