ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT BACTERIA: A CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGE IN MODERN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY

Antibiotic resistance has become one of the most significant challenges affecting modern medicine, microbiology, and public health. The increasing ability of bacterial pathogens to survive antimicrobial treatment reduces the effectiveness of commonly used antibiotics and complicates the management of infectious diseases. This phenomenon is associated with the inappropriate and excessive use of antibiotics, the horizontal transfer of resistance genes, genetic mutations, and the dissemination of resistant microorganisms in healthcare and environmental settings. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose a serious threat to the treatment of bacterial infections, particularly among hospitalized patients and individuals with weakened immune systems.