Can disinfectants contribute to antibiotic resistance?
Heir E; Langsrud S; Sidhu MS; Steinbakk M Statens institutt for folkehelse Postboks 4404 Nydalen 0403 Oslo. even.heir@folkehelsa.no BACKGROUND: Disinfectants are widely used in medicine, veterinary medicine, and the food processing industry. Increasingly, disinfectants are included in consumer products. Broad-scale use of antiseptics and disinfectants may have detrimental ecological consequences, for instance the development of antimicrobial resistance. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We give an overview of the correlation between the use of certain antiseptics and disinfectants, bacterial resistance to these agents, and antibiotic resistance. RESULTS: The mechanisms of antibiotic and biocide resistance share many common characteristics. There are links between disinfectant resistance and antibiotic resistance. Some biocides have the ability to select for antibiotic resistant mutants and vice versa. Resistance genes are often located on transferable genetic elements that facilitate horizontal ge
