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Is disinfectant resistance a thing? (hexbear.net)

submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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We’ve all heard about antibiotic resistance, but is it also possible for bacteria to develop resistance to common disinfectants, like bleach, alcohol and soap?

I was reading this story and was sort of confused as to what was going on

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 years ago (1 children)

my understanding is that disinfectants generally work by physically destroying undesirable organisms.

but Life Finds a Way™ and I guess not all bacterial spores are damaged by bleach. there are critters that can live in all kinds of hopelessly inhospitable environments, so why not bleach? it's a bummer that this one is really medically problematic though.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Yeah, bacterial spores are basically a specific defense and survival stage for bacteria that are resilient to pretty much everything, you gotta go for sterilization procedures to reliably get rid of them.