Patterson-Fahy K, Carter R, Taylor SL, Guo J, Thomson RM. 2025 Microbiol Spectr 13:e03374-24.
Highlights:
- Mycobacterium abscessus is present in drinking water distribution systems where it is exposed to chlorine and chloramine.
- M. abscessus drinking water isolates were highly resistant to both chlorine and chloramine, with significant differences within the M. abscessus group.
- A laboratory evolution experiment induced chlorine resistance, and exposure to chloramine resulted in decreased antibiotic (imipenem) susceptibility.
- These results suggest that exposure to disinfectants within drinking water distribution systems could result in increased disinfectant and antibiotic resistance, potentially contributing to the increasing frequency of disease.
Disinfectant and antibiotic resistance in Mycobacterium abscessus water isolates






