The Growing Global Threat Of Antibiotic Resistance Ielts Reading Answers Verified Hot! Jun 2026

The text recommends that individuals use antibiotics responsibly, get vaccinated, and practice good hygiene.

When penicillin became widely available during the Second World War, it was hailed as a medical miracle. The drug rapidly vanquished infected wounds—the biggest wartime killer—and fundamentally transformed medicine. Discovered initially by a French medical student, Ernest Duchesne, in 1896, and then rediscovered by Scottish physician Alexander Fleming in 1928, Penicillium crippled many types of disease-causing bacteria.

The consequences of antibiotic resistance are profound. In healthcare settings, "superbugs"—bacteria resistant to multiple drugs—are becoming increasingly common. This leads to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs, and increased mortality. Routine surgeries, such as hip replacements or Caesarean sections, carry a heightened risk of fatal infection.

: Simple actions like hand washing are cited as having a positive effect on preventing spread. Inappropriate Use : Antibiotics are often incorrectly used to treat viruses. Cost vs. Profit Discovered initially by a French medical student, Ernest

Antibiotic resistance is fundamentally a result of . Every time an antibiotic is used, it kills susceptible bacteria but leaves behind "renegade" variants with mutations that allow them to survive. These resistant survivors multiply rapidly, sometimes increasing their numbers a million-fold in just one day.

Cancer currently causes more deaths globally than antibiotic-resistant infections.

The primary catalyst behind the acceleration of AMR is the pervasive misuse and over-prescribing of antibiotic medications. Globally, millions of patients demand antibacterial drugs for viral illnesses like influenza or the common cold, conditions against which these medications have absolutely zero therapeutic effect. In many developing nations, the problem is compounded by lax regulatory frameworks, allowing powerful broad-spectrum antibiotics to be purchased over the counter without a qualified medical prescription. This unregulated access ensures that bacterial populations are constantly exposed to sub-lethal doses of drugs, creating the perfect evolutionary pressure cooker for generating "superbugs"—bacterial strains resistant to multiple classes of antibiotics. Paragraph D This leads to longer hospital stays, higher medical

Antibiotic resistance is a slow-moving pandemic that requires immediate action. Without a global commitment to responsible usage and innovative research, the achievements of modern medicine could be undone. The clock is ticking to save the drugs that have saved millions of lives.

While human misuse is a massive component of the problem, the agricultural sector represents an equally hazardous vector. Worldwide, a staggering volume of antibiotics is administered to livestock, poultry, and farmed fish. Shockingly, the majority of these substances are not used to treat diagnosed illnesses; instead, they serve as growth promoters or preventative mass treatments to counteract overcrowding and unsanitary conditions. This agricultural runoff enters the local water table, soil ecosystems, and the food supply chain. When consumers ingest undercooked meat or crops irrigated with contaminated water, they inadvertently expose their internal microbiomes to resistant bacterial strains bred on commercial farms. Paragraph E

For those preparing for the IELTS reading exam, here are some verified answers related to the topic of antibiotic resistance: and farmed fish.

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?In boxes 7–10 on your answer sheet, write: if the statement agrees with the information FALSE if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

The overuse of in agriculture/farming has contributed significantly to the surge in resistant bacteria, particularly in developing nations. Solutions to the Crisis