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Concerns of emergent widespread silver resistance in clinical bacteria have been raised due to the increased utilization of inorganic silver in wound dressings. Although the molecular basis for silver-resistance has been previously characterized, to date, phenotypic expression of these genes has not been observed in clinical settings. Here we identified the first strains of clinical bacteria expressing silver-resistance at a level that could significantly impact wound care and the use of silver-dressings. After IRB approval, preliminary screening of 859 isolates identified 67 samples potentially harboring silver-resistant genes. Colony PCR confirmed 31 isolates had at least 1 silver-resistant gene. Next, we investigated whether the bacteria possessing silver-resistant genes expressed this trait phenotypically. Despite carrying silver-resistant genes, minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) testing revealed that …