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Testing the Role of Multicopy Plasmids in the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance
09:00

Testing the Role of Multicopy Plasmids in the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance

Published on: May 2, 2018

[Selection and spreading of antibiotic resistance in bacteria]

Niels Frimodt-Møller1, Hans Jørn Kolmos

  • 1Klinisk Mikrobiologisk Afdeling, Hvidovre Hospital, Kettegård Allé 30, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark. niels.frimodt-moeller@hvh.regionh.dk

Ugeskrift for Laeger
|November 8, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Antibiotic use can co-select for resistance to other drugs and agents like metals and disinfectants. Prudent use of all these substances is crucial for controlling antibiotic resistance.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Public Health

Context:

  • Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health threat.
  • Co-selection of resistance genes on mobile genetic elements like plasmids is a significant factor.
  • Widespread use of metals and disinfectants in agriculture and healthcare is common.

Purpose:

  • To highlight the phenomenon of co-selection in antibiotic resistance.
  • To explain the role of plasmids in mediating co-selection.
  • To emphasize the link between the use of antibiotics, metals, and disinfectants and the spread of resistance.

Summary:

  • Antibiotic administration can inadvertently select for resistance to other antibiotics if resistance genes are linked on plasmids.
  • These resistance plasmids can also confer resistance to heavy metals (e.g., copper, zinc) and disinfectants (e.g., silver, chlorhexidine).
  • Consequently, the extensive use of metals for growth promotion in food animals and disinfectants in various settings can contribute to the co-selection of antibiotic resistance.

Impact:

  • Understanding co-selection is vital for developing strategies to combat antibiotic resistance.
  • Prudent use of antibiotics, metals, and disinfectants is essential to mitigate the spread of resistance.
  • This research underscores the interconnectedness of antimicrobial use and the broader challenge of resistance.

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