Polystyrene microplastics facilitate Clostridioides difficile biofilm formation and attenuate antibiotic susceptibility

Summary

Polystyrene microplastics were found to enhance biofilm formation by Clostridioides difficile and reduce its susceptibility to antibiotics, suggesting that plastic pollution in clinical and environmental settings could worsen C. difficile infections. This interaction between microplastics and a major nosocomial pathogen represents a concerning convergence of pollution and antimicrobial resistance.