Occurrence of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli in sewage treatment plants of South India

Abstract

Antibiotics received by sewage treatment plants may be the causative factor in spreading antibiotic resistance bacteria in the aquatic environment. The current study investigates the distribution of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) in four sewage treatment plants (STPs) in South India receiving hospital and domestic wastewater in different proportions. A total of 221 E. coli isolates were checked for antimicrobial resistance against 16 antimicrobials. Among the antimicrobials tested, ampicillin (AMP) and cefazolin (CFZ) showed resistance between 20% and 90%, nalidixic acid (NAL) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) showed resistance between 15% and 75% and chloramphenicol (CHL) showed resistance between 2% and 20%. Based on the observations, there is no significant difference between the wastewater inlet and outlet, suggesting that treatment process was not effective in reducing the resistance. In conclusion, the trends of antimicrobial resistance pattern show that the levels of resistance were slightly higher in hospital wastewater than domestic wastewater.

First report of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in two tropical rivers of southwestern India

“…However, this concentration is sufficient to develop antibiotic resistance in the bacterial populations due to selective pressure. This is supported by the recent studies done by Praveenkumarreddy et al 2020, where they found antibiotic resistant genes in the wastewater effluents of the treatment plants in southern India. In addition, the effect of low levels of pharmaceuticals and its toxicity on aquatic life forms requires further study.…”

Distribution of Antibiotic-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Pathogens in Potable Spring Water of Eastern Indian Himalayas: Emphasis on Virulence Gene and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Escherichia coli

“…Escherichia fergusonii isolates from spring water of Sikkim showed resistance to different classes of antibiotics including ceftazidime (73.33%), streptomycin (60%), ampicillin (60%), and cefoxitin (40%) ( Figure 4B). A similar study from Turkey found E. fergusonii isolates were resistant to penicillin G (100%), erythromycin (76.90%), and oxytetracycline (23%) (Parin et al, 2018). MDR E. fergusonii was also isolated from the Orissa (Mahapatra et al, 2009).…”

“…Antibiotic resistance is responsible for thousands of death annually and which is projected to increase dramatically as a global health hazard ( Momtaz et al, 2013 ; Adzitey, 2020 ). It is estimated that antibiotic resistance might lead to ten million deaths annually by 2050 ( Bengtsson-Palme et al, 2018 ; Praveenkumarreddy et al, 2020 ). Treatment of infectious diseases has been revolutionized since the discovery, production and use of antimicrobial substances ( Stange et al, 2016 ).…”

First Experimental Evidence for the Presence of Potentially Virulent Klebsiella oxytoca in 14 Species of Commonly Consumed Aquatic Animals, and Phenotyping and Genotyping of K. oxytoca Isolates

“…The propagation and spread of resistant pathogenic bacteria pose serious threats to the public heath for humans and animals [30,31]. It is estimated that antibiotic resistance may lead to 10 million deaths per year by 2050 [31].…”