Disinfectant induced changes in the antibiotic sensitivity and phage typing pattern in Staphylococcus aureus

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Disinfectants are crucial for infection control.
• Sub-inhibitory concentrations may drive microbial adaptation.
• Staphylococcus aureus is a significant human pathogen.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of sub-lethal disinfectant concentrations on Staphylococcus aureus.
• To assess the development of antibiotic resistance and phage-typing alterations.

Main Methods:

• Serial passage of five Staphylococcus aureus strains through sub-minimal inhibitory concentrations of disinfectants.
• Phenotypic variant analysis, including antibiotic resistance profiling.
• Phage typing and reverse phage typing to evaluate changes in phage susceptibility and temperate phage content.

Main Results:

• Antibiotic resistance was induced in 30.5% of derived phenotypic variants.
• A proportion of variants exhibited altered phage typing patterns, including increased phage susceptibility.
• Some variants transitioned from non-typable to typable, and loss of temperate phages was observed.

Conclusions:

• Sub-lethal disinfectant exposure can promote antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus.
• Disinfectant pressure can lead to significant alterations in bacterial phage-typing profiles.
• These findings highlight the potential for unintended consequences of disinfectant use in clinical settings.