The
class of chemicals characterized as biocides are used in all parts of society
from home to hospital, to farms and industry. The presence of biocides selects
for genes in microorganisms that can protect against their lethal effects.
These biocide resistance genes are often the same genes as antibiotic
resistance genes (i.e. cross-resistance), or they can be co-located on
plasmids, for example, which means when biocides are present the microorganism
will also co-select for antibiotic resistance genes (i.e. co-resistance).
Dr. Andrew C
Singer has written an interesting blog post on antimicrobial resistance. Here
is an extract:
Current
AMR Action Plans and the O’Neill Reviews see antibiotics as the primary driver
of AMR; hence, all mitigating measures are focused solely on reducing their use
and release into the environment. This vision of the challenge of AMR is not
helpful as it omits other AMR drivers that could be, on their own, more
important than antibiotics for selecting, maintaining and spreading AMR in the
environment, let alone as a collective group of AMR drivers.”
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Pharmaceutical Microbiology Resources