superbug
Drug-resistant bacterium
A superbug is a strain of bacteria that has developed resistance to multiple antibiotics, making infections difficult or impossible to treat with standard medications.
The term emerged as antibiotic overuse accelerated bacterial evolution: MRSA is one of the most common superbugs in hospitals.
Sometimes used loosely for any particularly virulent or hard-to-kill pathogen.
Single-celled prokaryotic life
- microorganismMicroscopic living entity
- microbeMicroscopic living organism
- germDisease-causing microorganism
- PseudomonasBacterial genus, often pathogenic
E. coli · Salmonella · infection · colonization · virulence · toxin · biofilm · culture
Drug-resistant staph infection
- multidrug-resistantUnaffected by multiple treatments
- hospital-acquiredOriginating within medical facilities
- antimicrobialKills or inhibits germs
- stewardshipResponsible care of entrusted things
vancomycin · methicillin · plasmid · conjugation · selective pressure
Widespread disease occurrence
- pandemicGlobal disease outbreak
- spreadTo distribute widely
- transmissionSending of information
- contagionDisease spread by contact
quarantine · public health · epidemiology · surveillance · contact tracing · containment · cluster · mortality
Dangerous living organism risk
- crisisDecisive dangerous moment
- emergencySerious sudden danger
- alarmUrgent warning signal
- vulnerabilityOpenness to harm
precaution · biosecurity · infection control · hand hygiene · isolation · decontamination · PPE · untreatable
Permanent DNA alteration
- natural selectionDifferential reproductive success
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- survivalRemaining alive against odds
- genetic variationInherited molecular differences
selective pressure · fitness · recombination · genome · DNA · allele · strain · variant
bacterium
Single-celled prokaryotic life
- microorganismMicroscopic living entity
- microbeMicroscopic living organism
- germDisease-causing microorganism
Pseudomonas · E. coli · Salmonella · infection · colonization · virulence · toxin · biofilm · culture · opportunistic
MRSA
Drug-resistant staph infection
- multidrug-resistantUnaffected by multiple treatments
- hospital-acquiredOriginating within medical facilities
- antimicrobialKills or inhibits germs
stewardship · vancomycin · methicillin · plasmid · conjugation · selective pressure
epidemic
Widespread disease occurrence
- pandemicGlobal disease outbreak
- spreadTo distribute widely
- transmissionSending of information
contagion · quarantine · public health · epidemiology · surveillance · contact tracing · containment · cluster · mortality · morbidity
biohazard
Dangerous living organism risk
vulnerability · precaution · biosecurity · infection control · hand hygiene · isolation · decontamination · PPE · untreatable · incurable
mutation
Permanent DNA alteration
- natural selectionDifferential reproductive success
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- survivalRemaining alive against odds
genetic variation · selective pressure · fitness · recombination · genome · DNA · allele · strain · variant · emergence
- Hospital Infectionsnosocomial infection, MRSA, wound infection, bloodstream infection, antibiotic resistance
- Drug Resistancedrug resistance, antibiotic resistance, MRSA, resistant strains, cross-resistance
- health crisespandemic, epidemic, outbreak, health emergency, public health emergency
- bioweaponsanthrax, bioweapon, bioweapons, bioterrorism, biowarfare
superbugprobiotic
Healthful live microorganism supplement
beneficial bacteria · gut flora · microbiome · lactobacillus · bifidobacteria