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Question
Saniya claims to her friend Vinita that "Antibiotics can cure any infection, so we don't need to worry about diseases." What question(s) can Vinita ask her to help Saniya understand that her statement is incorrect?
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Answer
Antibiotics work on
Antibiotics do NOT work on
Bacteria — they target parts of bacterial cells.
Viruses — a cold, a cough or the flu.
Tuberculosis, cholera, typhoid.
Diseases caused by protozoa, such as malaria.
Only when a doctor prescribes them.
Taking them anyway breeds antibiotic resistance.
Vinita can ask whether antibiotics work against viruses and what happens when antibiotics are overused.
Explanation
- "Do antibiotics work against viral diseases like a cold or flu?" (They do not.)
- "What about diseases caused by protozoa, like malaria?" (Antibiotics do not work on these.)
- "What happens if we use antibiotics carelessly?" (It causes antibiotic resistance.)
Antibiotics work only on bacteria, not viruses or protozoa, and overuse causes resistance.
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