Final answer:
The Age of Resistance refers to the current era of widespread antibiotic resistance, a serious global health issue caused by natural selection favoring bacteria that can survive despite antibiotic treatment. It poses significant challenges for treating common infections, necessitating urgent medical and scientific responses.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Age of Resistance refers to the current period in medicine where antibiotic resistance has become a significant global problem. Antibiotic resistance is an example of natural selection where bacteria evolve to become less susceptible to antibiotics that were previously effective. An example of this is the rise of "superbugs," bacteria which have developed a resistance to multiple antibiotics, making treatment of common infections more difficult. This phenomenon has occurred due to various factors, such as the overuse and misuse of antibiotics.
Factors contributing to antibiotic resistance include inappropriate prescribing, use in agriculture, and patients not completing their treatment courses. The problem is exacerbated because antibiotics are used by patients of different ages, and the fact that their ages differ increases resistance. The rise of resistant bacterial strains has led to a situation where 70% of bacterial strains are resistant to at least one antibiotic, leading to more deaths from bacterial infections than from HIV infection and breast cancer combined in the United States. Understanding and combatting antibiotic resistance requires a multifaceted approach involving better prescribing practices, research into new antibiotics, and global cooperation.