What is one reason why antibiotic resistance does not always disappear as quickly as one might expect after large-scale antibiotic use is ended?
A) Compensatory mutations arise at other loci in resistant bacterial strains, which eliminate fitness costs associated with the resistant phenotype.
B) Horizontal gene transfer occurs from other resistant bacterial strains.
C) Alleles for antibiotic resistance confer no fitness costs.
D) Alleles for antibiotic resistance confer no fitness benefits.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Compensatory mutations at other loci can eliminate the fitness costs associated with antibiotic resistance, allowing the resistant bacteria to persist even after antibiotic use has been discontinued. This can lead to the continued spread of antibiotic resistance.

What Is One Reason Why Antibiotic Resistance Does Not Always