Do Biocides Select for Antibiotic Resistance?

Abstract

Some similarities exist between bacterial resistance to antibiotics and to biocides, and gram-negative bacteria that have developed resistance to cationic biocides may also be insusceptible to some antibiotics. Outer membrane changes are believed to be responsible for this non-specific increase in resistance. Efflux, another important resistance mechanism, is associated with the qacA/B gene system in staphylococci that confers low-level resistance to cationic agents including chlorhexidine salts and quaternary ammonium compounds. It has been proposed that the introduction into clinical practice of chlorhexidine and quaternary ammonium compounds has resulted in the selection of staphylococci containing qacA genes on multiresistance plasmids. A linkage between low-level resistance to triclosan and to antibiotics has recently been claimed to occur in Escherichia coli, with the bisphenol selecting for chromosomally-mediated antibiotic resistance. A key issue in many studies has been the use of biocides at concentrations significantly below those used clinically. It remains to be determined how an increase to low-level resistance to cationic biocides can be held responsible for the selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Genetic basis of resistance to quaternary ammonium compounds - the qac genes and their role: a review

“…It has been observed that some bacteria which express increased resistance to antiseptics are generally less susceptible to antibiotics. Outer membrane changes have been believed to be one of the mechanisms responsible for such increased non-specific cross-resistance (Russell 2000). Whether the qac genes are able to directly confer resistance to antibiotics remains to be determined.…”

“…The link between the qac genes and macrolide inactivation genes was revealed in Aeromonas hydrophila (Poole et al 2006) as well as in microflora from a wastewater treatment plant (Szczepanowski et al 2004). Therefore, the use of various cationic biocides may be also responsible for the selection of bacteria resistant to antibiotics (Russell 2000;Hegstad et al 2010). …”

Antibacterial activity and mode of action of selected glucosinolate hydrolysis products against bacterial pathogens

“…The recurrent use of chemical disinfectants and also the inadequate disinfection strategies impose selective pressure and contribute to the emergence of resistance among microorganisms (Russell 2000). Resistant microorganisms have been responsible for the failure of many disinfection programs, and therefore for many contaminations in industrial, environmental and biomedical settings (Chorianopoulos et al 2011).…”

Adaptive Resistance to Biocides inSalmonella entericaandEscherichia coliO157 and Cross-Resistance to Antimicrobial Agents

“…The continuous and uncontrolled usage of antibacterial agents has no doubt contributed significantly to bacterial resistance, and there are many similarities between the ways in which bacteria are able to resist antibiotics and biocides (24). These mechanisms include decreased drug accumulation, decreased permeability, modification of the target, and modification of the antibiotic itself (20).…”