Competitive release

Competitive release occurs when a targeted treatment, like an antibiotic or pesticide, kills off most of the dominant, sensitive organisms. This removal reduces competition, allowing any resistant organisms that survive to grow and multiply more freely. As a result, these resistant organisms become more prevalent, making the overall population harder to control or eliminate. This phenomenon is important to consider in fields like medicine and agriculture because it can lead to the emergence of resistant strains that are more difficult to manage.