Described herein are methods of disrupting (e.g., reducing the viscosity of, or dissolving) a preformed biofilm in a subject, the method comprising: administering to the subject an effective amount of a composition comprising a soluble chitosan or derivatized chitosan wherein the soluble chitosan or derivatized chitosan when administered contacts the preformed biofilm, thereby disrupting (e.g., reducing the viscosity of, or dissolving) the preformed biofilm.