▁instance , ▁ant ib acter ial ▁resistance ▁gen es ▁can ▁be ▁ex changed ▁between ▁different ▁b acter ial ▁stra ins ▁or ▁species ▁via ▁pl asm ids ▁that ▁carry ▁these ▁resistance ▁gen es . ▁Pl asm ids ▁that ▁carry ▁several ▁different ▁resistance ▁gen es ▁can ▁confer ▁resistance ▁to ▁multiple ▁ant ib acter ial s . ▁Cross - res istance ▁to ▁several ▁ant ib acter ial s ▁may ▁also ▁occur ▁when ▁a ▁resistance ▁mechanism ▁encoded ▁by ▁a ▁single ▁gene ▁con ve ys ▁resistance ▁to ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁ant ib acter ial ▁comp ound . ▁ ▁Ant ib acter ial - res istant ▁stra ins ▁and ▁species , ▁sometimes ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" super bug s ", ▁now ▁contribute ▁to ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁dise ases ▁that ▁were ▁for ▁a ▁while ▁well ▁controlled . ▁For ▁example , ▁emer gent ▁b acter ial ▁stra ins ▁causing ▁t uber cul osis ▁that ▁are ▁resist ant ▁to ▁previously ▁effective ▁ant ib acter ial ▁treat ments ▁pose ▁many ▁th era pe ut ic ▁challeng es . ▁Every ▁year , ▁nearly ▁half ▁a ▁million ▁new ▁cases ▁of ▁mult id rug - res istant ▁t uber cul osis ▁( MD R - TB ) ▁are ▁estimated ▁to ▁occur ▁world wide . ▁For ▁example , ▁N DM - 1 ▁is ▁a ▁newly ▁identified ▁en zym e ▁con ve ying ▁b acter ial ▁resistance ▁to ▁a ▁broad ▁range ▁of ▁beta - la ct am ▁ant ib acter ial s . ▁The ▁United ▁Kingdom ' s ▁Health ▁Prote ction ▁Agency ▁has ▁stated ▁that ▁" most