Abstract
There is a possible link between exposure to Triclosan (TCS) and changes in antimicrobial susceptibility. The change in the tolerance of clinical Escherichia coli (n=45) isolates to the biocide TCS, changes in antibiotic resistance and differences in the efflux pump mechanism were analyzed. 45 E. coli isolates were obtained. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of TCS, and the expression of four efflux pump encoding genes in antibiotic resistant isolates were determined before and after TCS adaptation. The number of TCS-tolerant isolates was 11 (24.4%). After adaptation, the percentage of tolerant isolates increased to 42.2% (n=19). A significant change (p<0.05) in antimicrobial resistance of the tested isolates (n=45) before and after TCS adaptation was detected for ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, ertapenem, imipenem, amikacin, gentamicin, tobramycin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and doxycycline. Among the new TCS tolerant isolates (n=8). there was an increase in TCS MIC as well as the MBC after TSC adaptation. The adapted isolates exhibited a significant increase in the expression of mdfA and norE genes (p=<0.001). There is a strong correlation between efflux pump gene overexpression and susceptibility to TCS and other antimicrobials.