Towards a Harmonized Terminology: A Glossary for Biocide Susceptibility Testing

Pathogens, vol. 11, pp. 1455

Abstract

Disinfection is a key strategy to reduce the burden of infections. The contact of bacteria to biocides-the active substances of disinfectants-has been linked to bacterial adaptation and the development of antimicrobial resistance. Currently, there is no scientific consensus on whether the excessive use of biocides contributes to the emergence and spread of multidrug resistant bacteria. The comprehensive analysis of available data remains a challenge because neither uniform test procedures nor standardized interpretive criteria nor harmonized terms are available to describe altered bacterial susceptibility to biocides. In our review, we investigated the variety of criteria and the diversity of terms applied to interpret findings in original studies performing biocide susceptibility testing (BST) of field isolates. An additional analysis of reviews summarizing the knowledge of individual studies on altered biocide susceptibility provided insights into currently available broader concepts for data interpretation. Both approaches pointed out the urgent need for standardization. We, therefore, propose that the well-established and approved concepts for interpretation of antimicrobial susceptibility testing data should serve as a role model to evaluate biocide resistance mechanisms on a single cell level. Furthermore, we emphasize the adaptations necessary to acknowledge the specific needs for the evaluation of BST data. Our approach might help to increase scientific awareness and acceptance.

Authors 7

1. Szilvia Neuhaus corresponding

   Federal Institute for Risk Assessment

   Affiliation as printed

   German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, 10589 Berlin, Germany

2. Andrea T. Feßler

   Freie Universität Berlin

   Affiliation as printed

   Centre for Infection Medicine, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany

   Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research (TZR), Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany

3. Ralf Dieckmann corresponding

   Federal Institute for Risk Assessment

   Affiliation as printed

   German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, 10589 Berlin, Germany

4. Lara Thieme

   Jena University Hospital · Friedrich Schiller University Jena

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, 07747 Jena, Germany

   Leibniz Center for Photonics in Infection Research, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07747 Jena, Germany

5. Mathias Wilhelm Pletz

   Jena University Hospital · Friedrich Schiller University Jena

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, 07747 Jena, Germany

6. Štefan Schwarz

   Freie Universität Berlin

   Affiliation as printed

   Centre for Infection Medicine, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany

   Veterinary Centre for Resistance Research (TZR), Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany

7. Sascha Al Dahouk Aachen Department of Internal Medicine

   RWTH Aachen University · Universitätsklinikum Aachen · Federal Institute for Risk Assessment

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Internal Medicine, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074 Aachen, Germany

   German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, 10589 Berlin, Germany