In 2005, a Strain of Extremely Drug-Resistant Bacteria Was Isolated

question 11

Multiple Choice

In 2005, a strain of extremely drug-resistant bacteria was isolated from a man in New York City. Public health officials braced themselves for many more cases, but they never appeared. What is the most likely explanation?

• A) The strain must have reverted back to a sensitive strain in order to keep infecting more people.
• B) The strain may have been less fit in other ways and thus not successful in the population.
• C) The strain must have become extinct.
• D) The strain must have been dormant and was waiting for the right conditions to reappear.