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 gene transfer between microorganisms. Antibiotic resistance and disinfectant resistance may be stabilized and maintained even in the absence of a direct selective pressure. Higher incidence of bacteria resistant to certain disinfectants have been reported in environments where such agents are frequently used compared to environments where they are not in regular use. Increased domestic usage of non-antibiotic antimicrobial agents may select for antibiotic-resistant bacteria of clinical significance.
Interpretation: The use of antiseptics and disinfectants should be restricted to products and areas where they have an essential and documented effect.