Title : Misuse of disinfectants cause antibiotic resistance in species of serratia

Abstract:

Background:
Increasing numbers of hospital acquired infections are presenting a global threat to human health as the number of deaths annually attributed to antimicrobial resistance are rising exponentially while our antibiotic treatment options are dwindling. In light of increased use of disinfectants since the SARS CoV-2 pandemic, the question must be asked- is there a connection between antibiotic resistance and disinfectant resistance?

Method:
Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) tests were performed on clinical strains of Serratia for Ampicillin and a Quaternary Ammonium Compound-based disinfectant (QAC) and compared to that of the wild type. Resistance to QAC was induced in the wild type strain of Serratia marcescens ATCC 13880 as well as one clinical strain via exposure to sub-lethal levels of disinfectant, before redetermining the QAC and Ampicillin MICs.

Results:
Clinical strains exhibited a reduced susceptibility to QACs when compared to the wild type strain, indicating acquisition of QAC resistance within the hospital setting. Following 10 days of exposure to sub-lethal levels of QAC, the wild type strain as well as the clinical strain exhibited a massive reduction in susceptibility to QAC-based disinfectant. The wild type strain as well as the clinical strain exhibited a moderate increase in resistance to Ampicillin, despite no exposure to antibiotics.

Conclusions/Learning Points:
The results confirm a relationship between the development of QAC resistance and antibiotic resistance, as exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of QAC-based disinfectant resulted in reduced susceptibility to Ampicillin.