{"id":20,"date":"2008-04-29T13:44:46","date_gmt":"2008-04-29T18:44:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/nanotechnology\/2008\/04\/29\/bacterial-resistance-to-silver-nano-or-otherwise\/"},"modified":"2024-02-12T11:00:21","modified_gmt":"2024-02-12T16:00:21","slug":"bacterial-resistance-to-silver-nano-or-otherwise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/2008\/04\/29\/bacterial-resistance-to-silver-nano-or-otherwise\/","title":{"rendered":"Bacterial Resistance to Silver (Nano or Otherwise)"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/em>Cal Baier-Anderson, Ph.D.<\/em>, is a Health Scientist.<\/em><\/p>\n

A recent article posted on scienceline<\/a> includes a claim that bacteria cannot develop resistance to silver, which is widely used as an antimicrobial.\u00a0 That assertion is not only false, but also dangerous. <\/p>\n

Resistance of bacteria to antimicrobials is a serious and growing problem, so it is imperative that antimicrobials be used only where shown to be essential and effective.\u00a0 The cavalier use of antimicrobials, including their routine use as feed additives for growth promotion and prophylaxis in animal agriculture, increases the likelihood of the development of resistance in dangerous human pathogenic bacteria (Refs. 1-3, below).<\/p>\n

The unqualified claim in this post that \u201cbacteria cannot build up a resistance to silver nanoparticles as they can to antibiotics, because of the way the silver nanoparticle attacks \u2013 destroying the structure of the cells and killing them\u2026\u201d is wrong and reckless.\u00a0 First, bacteria have developed numerous strategies to overcome the activity of antimicrobials, including those that destroy cells (4).<\/p>\n

Second, silver is a potent antimicrobial (5,6), but numerous studies have documented resistance to it in several different types of bacterial (7-14).\u00a0 Resistance can arise through multiple mechanisms, some of which also impart resistance to other antimicrobial agents.\u00a0 Two important reviews summarize the broader concerns over bacterial resistance to silver, cautioning that the current lack of oversight on its expanding use could have serious consequences (15,16).<\/p>\n

Nanosilver is the new kid on the block, generating a new wave of antimicrobial products, from odor-resistant socks to purportedly self-sterilizing computer mice. (For a list of consumer products containing nanosilver, search for \u201csilver\u201d in the Woodrow Wilson Center\u2019s Project on Emerging Nanotechnology online inventory<\/a>.)\u00a0 As with other nanomaterials, nanosilver\u2019s use in consumer products is happening without sufficient regulatory oversight, although EPA may actually be starting to pay some attention <\/a>to this use.<\/p>\n

The widespread and indiscriminate use and release of such nanosilver materials could negatively impact both beneficial microbial communities in the ecosystem, and our capacity to combat dangerous microbes that threaten human health.\u00a0 Until we have a better understanding of the ramifications of the use of nanosilver in consumer products, strict regulation against overuse is warranted.\u00a0 There is also an urgent need for additional research before nanosilver is allowed to become ubiquitous in consumer products and our environment.<\/p>\n

References:<\/p>\n

1. Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics.\u00a0 2002.\u00a0 Report on the Facts about Antibiotics in Animals and the Impact on Resistance (FAAIR) Project.\u00a0 Clinical Infectious Disease.\u00a0 34(S3):S71-S144. Available at: http:\/\/www.tufts.edu\/med\/apua\/Ecology\/faair.html<\/a><\/p>\n

2. General Accounting Office.\u00a0 2004.\u00a0 Antibiotic Resistance: Federal Agencies Need to Better Focus Efforts to Address Risk to Humans from Antibiotic Use in Animals.\u00a0 GAO-04-490.\u00a0 April 2004.\u00a0 Available at: http:\/\/www.gao.gov\/docsearch\/abstract.php?rptno=GAO-04-490<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Silbergeld EK, Graham J, Price LB.\u00a0 2008.\u00a0 Industrial Food Animal Production, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Human Health.\u00a0 Ann Rev Public Health.\u00a0 29:151\u2013169.\u00a0 http:\/\/arjournals.annualreviews.org\/doi\/abs\/10.1146\/annurev.publhealth.29.020907.090904<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Tenover FC.\u00a0 2006.\u00a0 Mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria. Am J Infect Control.\u00a0 34(S1):S3-S10. http:\/\/www.ajicjournal.org\/article\/S0196-6553(06)00836-4\/abstract<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Edward-Jones V.\u00a0 2006.\u00a0 Antimicrobial and barrier effects of silver against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.\u00a0 J Wound Care.\u00a0 15(7):285-290.\u00a0 http:\/\/www.journalofwoundcare.com\/cgi-bin\/go.pl\/library\/abstract.html?uid=26951<\/a><\/p>\n

6. EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 1993. R.E.D. Facts: Silver. Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances. EPA-738-F-93-005. June. Available online: http:\/\/www.epa.gov\/oppsrrd1\/REDs\/factsheets\/4082fact.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

7. McHugh GL, Moellering RC, Hopkins CC et al. 1975. Salmonella typhimurium resistant to silver nitrate, chloramphenicol, and ampicillin. Lancet. 1: 235\u201340.<\/p>\n

8. Hendry AT, Stewart IO. 1979. Silver-resistant Enterobacteriaceae from hospital patients. Can J Microbiol. 25:915\u201321.\u00a0 http:\/\/rparticle.web-p.cisti.nrc.ca\/rparticle\/AbstractTemplateServlet?calyLang=eng&journal=cjm&volume=25&year=0&issue=8&msno=m79-136<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Bridges K, Kidson A, Lowbury EJ et al. 1979. Gentamicin- and silver-resistant Pseudomonas in a burns unit. Br Med J. 1:446\u20139.<\/p>\n

10. Deshpande LM, Chopade BA. 1994. Plasmid mediated silver resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii. Biometals\u00a0 7:49\u201356.\u00a0 http:\/\/www.springerlink.com\/content\/j56050x270861k14\/?p=83dca07d9d6b44afa60e6f401a32d06a&pi=7<\/a><\/p>\n

11. Li X-Z, Nikaido H, Williams KE. 1997. Silver-resistant mutants of Escherichia coli display active efflux of Ag+ and are deficient in porins. J Bacteriol. 179(19):6127\u20136132.\u00a0 http:\/\/jb.asm.org\/cgi\/content\/abstract\/179\/19\/6127<\/a><\/p>\n

12. Gupta A, Matsui K, Lo F, Silver S. 1999. Molecular basis for resistance of silver cations in Salmonella. Nature Medicine. 5(2):183\u2013188.\u00a0 http:\/\/www.nature.com\/nm\/journal\/v5\/n2\/abs\/nm0299_183.html<\/a><\/p>\n

13. Gupta A, Maynes M, Silver S. 1998. Effects of halides on plasmid-mediated silver resistance in Escherichia coli. Appl Env Microbiol. 12:5042\u20135045.\u00a0 http:\/\/aem.asm.org\/cgi\/content\/abstract\/64\/12\/5042<\/a><\/p>\n

14. Silver S, Phung le T, Silver G.\u00a0 2006.\u00a0 Silver as biocides in burn and wound dressings and bacterial resistance to silver compounds. J. Ind Microbiol Biotechnol.\u00a0 33(7):627-34.\u00a0 http:\/\/www.springerlink.com\/content\/e66l0g6125655482\/?p=a5939d6f624545d5a1da96dbd01c3a56&pi=19<\/a><\/p>\n

15. Gupta A, Silver S. 1998.\u00a0 Silver as a biocide: will resistance become a problem? Nature Biotechnology. 16:888.<\/p>\n

16. Chopra I.\u00a0 2007.\u00a0 The increasing use of silver-based products as antimicrobial agents: a useful development or a cause for concern?\u00a0 Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 59:587\u2013590\u00a0 http:\/\/jac.oxfordjournals.org\/cgi\/content\/full\/59\/4\/587<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cal Baier-Anderson, Ph.D., is a Health Scientist. A recent article posted on scienceline includes a claim that bacteria cannot develop resistance to silver, which is widely used as an antimicrobial.\u00a0 That assertion is not only false, but also dangerous.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[56100,5009,56087],"tags":[5019,39209],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-20","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-emerging-science","category-health-science","category-nanotechnology","tag-consumer-products","tag-nanosilver"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/101"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12516,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20\/revisions\/12516"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=20"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}