VIDEO: How antibiotic-resistant bacteria spread

Transcript: Bacteria are everywhere. Most are harmless or even beneficial to humans but some can cause disease.

If disease-causing bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics they become difficult or impossible to treat.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are spread by contact between people, food, animals and the environment.

When we travel overseas we can bring back antibiotic resistant-bacteria to New Zealand on our skin or in our bodies or luggage, which then spread in our community.

New Zealand is not isolated from the increasing global health threats from antibiotic-resistant infections.