Disinfectants Cause Some Bacteria to Adapt, Thrive  Published
December 29, 2009  | Live Science  To keep sickness at bay, many
of us constantly wash hands and disinfect surfaces. But a new
lab study shows one pesky bacterium eats cleansers for
breakfast: When disinfectant was applied to lab cultures of the
bacteria, they adapted to survive not only the disinfectant but
also a common antibiotic.  The research team focused on
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium responsible for a range of
infections in people with weakened immune systems. When the
scientists added increasing amounts of disinfectant to P.
aeruginosa cultures, the bacteria adapted to survive not only
the disinfectant but also the antibiotic called ciprofloxacin.
Here's how: The bacteria were able to more efficiently pump out
antimicrobial agents. The adapted bacteria also had a genetic
mutation that allowed them to resist ciprofloxacin-type
antibiotics specifically.  "In principle this means that residue
from incorrectly diluted disinfectants lef