Repeated disinfectant use in broiler houses and pig nursery units does not affect disinfectant and antibiotic susceptibility in Escherichia coli field isolates

Abstract

Background: Disinfectants are frequently used in animal production to reduce or eliminate the load of infectious agents and parasites in buildings and equipment associated with the housing or transportation of animals. There are growing concerns that the use of disinfectants would select for resistance to antibiotics and disinfectants. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of repeated use of different disinfectants on the disinfectant and antibiotic susceptibility under practical conditions in a broiler and pig pilot farm. Therefore, the susceptibility of Escherichia coli (E. coli) to 14 antibiotics and 4 disinfectants was monitored over a one-year period. Results: High (20-50%) to very high (> 50%) resistance levels for ampicillin, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim and tetracycline were observed in both animal production types. Disinfectant susceptibility did not change over time and did not depend on the used disinfection product. Compared to in-use concentrations of formaldehyde, benzalkoniumchloride and a peracetic acid-hydrogen peroxide formulation, all E. coli strains remained susceptible indicating that the use of disinfectants did not select for disinfectant resistance. Moreover, no association could be found between the use of disinfectants and antibiotic resistance. Conclusions: These findings suggest that repeated use of disinfectants in agricultural environments does not select for antibiotic resistance nor does it reduce disinfectant susceptibility.

Improvements of weaned pigs barn hygiene to reduce the spread of antimicrobial resistance

“…Similarly, Wieland et al (2017) reported that residual concentrations of disinfectants were not able to select ESBL-/AmpC producing E. coli . This also agrees with Maertens et al (2020) suggestions that repeated use of disinfectants in animal housing does not lead to antibiotic resistance or reduce susceptibility to disinfectants. Although some previous findings ( Ortega et al, 2013 ; Schwaiger et al, 2014 ; Jean-Yves, 2018 ) indicate opportunities for bacteria to resist disinfectants, no co-(cross-)resistance between biocide and antibiotic was observed in our current study.…”

Antimicrobial resistance clusters in commensal Escherichia coli from livestock

“…These patterns can consequently be subjected to further investigating the biological mechanisms behind. Besides AMU, other drivers could play a role, for example disinfectants (biocides, i.e., quaternary ammonium compounds) (Van Gompel et al., 2019), although these positive associations were not confirmed in two other studies (Maertens et al., 2019, 2020).…”

Biocide-tolerance and antibiotic-resistance in community environments and risk of direct transfers to humans: Unintended consequences of community-wide surface disinfecting during COVID-19?

“…While many filed studies have reported evidence suggesting a link between disinfectant exposure and antibiotic resistance, some studies suggested otherwise ( Cole et al., 2003 ; Maertens et al., 2020 ; Oggioni et al., 2015 ; Peyrat et al., 2008 ; Roedel et al., 2019 ). In reality, there may not be a simple cause for such linkage, since in ‘real-world’ situations antibiotics often exist in complex environments and therefore, the use of disinfectants may not be the only or the primary driving force for the occurrence of antibiotic resistance.…”