English Language · English

Read the following passage and answer the question that follows: Recent research into antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains suggests the need for a re-examination of the frequency with which doctors prescribe antibacterial therapy. One study demonstrated, for example, that most minor bacterial infections will resolve without treatment within 5 to 14 days of the onset of symptoms; a course of antibiotics might reduce that time frame by only 1 to 2 days. A second study indicates that the incidents of 'superbugs', which have resistance to a wide variety of antibacterial agents, is increasing significantly and that these bugs are more likely to spread among those who have been treated with antibiotics within the past 5 years. The passage is primarily concerned with: