If antibiotic-resistant bacteria spread between patients in a hospital via a shared contaminated surface, which mechanism is primarily responsible for the rapid dissemination of resistance genes?

💡 Explanation

Horizontal gene transfer allows bacteria to share genetic material, including antibiotic resistance genes, directly with other bacteria, even of different species, because plasmids can transfer between cells. Therefore, resistance spreads rapidly via this mechanism, rather than relying on slower vertical transfer or individual mutational events.

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