Antibacterial detergents don’t create superbugs

Research proves that use of antibacterial detergents in the home and in hospitals can reduce the development of superbugs, according to an article published in the May 2004 issue of Microbiology Today, the quarterly magazine for the Society for General Microbiology. Using antibacterial products, including disinfectants and antiseptics, has been found to lessen the chance of infection and as a result cut down on the use of antibiotics.

Modern over-use of antibacterial soaps and cleaners to control bacteria in the home has been blamed for contributing to the rise in resistant germs.

“But there is no evidence to back this claim”, explains Professor Peter Gilbert from the University of Manchester. “One such biocide, Triclosan, has been accused of appearing in breast milk and some fish products, yet it has been shown to be easily broken down in the environment and given a clean ‘bill of health’ by the European Union.”

Microbes have long been associated with drugs and this issue of Microbiology Today takes a look at the close relationship that microbes have with a wide range of drugs – from antimicrobials to narcotics. The introduction of antibacterial agents, chemical disinfectants and antiseptics, had already made significant improvements in public health, long before the famous discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in the 1920’s. Later developments brought antiviral and antifungal drugs, and studies of the immune system highlighted the promise offered by host defence peptides. Now genomics is helping in the quest for new cures for diseases.