Studies released in the 1990s suggested that the general use of antibacterial products, particularly those using the biocide triclosan as the active ingredient, might contribute towards the development and spread of antibiotic resistance. In the laboratory, repeated sublethal exposure of the bacterium Escherichia coli to triclosan led to the emergence of triclosan-resistance in the organism, which researchers believed might select for antibiotic resistance.
In the research released today, Andrew McBain and his colleagues have discovered that the ability of E. coli to develop resistance is not shared by the vast majority of naturally occurring bacteria. Thirty distinct bacterial isolates were taken directly from kitchen sink drains or the mouths or skin of a number of volunteers. These isolates were then exposed to triclosan. Only two, the E. coli and to a lesser degree Klebsiella bacteria, developed resistance.
"These results suggest that the fears expressed about the use of triclosan were premature," says McBain. "Indeed a number of field studies conducted of homes and clinics were unable to link antibacterial use patterns with changes in resistance."
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Contact: Jim Sliwa
jsliwa@asmusa.org
202-942-9297
American Society for Microbiology
24-May-2004