Emerging bacterial resistance following biocide exposure: should we be concerned?

Biocides are used in a wide range of applications and yet public information on their extent of use, efficacy and mechanisms of bacterial interactions is scarce. A number of academic studies have reported the possibility of emerging bacterial resistance following biocide exposure, and highlighted the occurrence of cross-resistance between unrelated antimicrobial agents such as biocides and chemotherapeutic antibiotics. A number of biocide-resistance mechanisms have been described at the bacterial cell and population levels. However, concrete evidence of emerging resistance in vivo is lacking because too few studies have been commissioned. Likewise, there is no consensus yet on the methodologies to be used to study bacterial resistance. Such protocols are urgently needed to provide an appropriate risk assessment on the use of these antimicrobial products