Biofilms: their importance in veterinary medicine

Traditionally, bacteria were known to exist as free-floating ‘planktonic organisms’. However, the predominant form of microbial growth is now recognised to be in biofilms attached to surfaces. Microbes in biofilms show an altered phenotype with respect to growth rate and gene transcription compared to the free-living forms of the same organisms. Biofilms are clinically important in both human and veterinary medicine, having the ability to form on both medical devices and living tissue, and they are formed by organisms such as Staphylococcus spp., Pseudomonas spp. and Malassezia spp. The formation, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of biofilms is discussed.