Comparison of antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli obtained from drinking water sources in northern Tanzania: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing and significant threat to public health on a global scale. Escherichia coli comprises Gram-negative, fecal-borne pathogenic and commensal bacteria that are frequently associated with antibiotic resistance. AMR E. coli can be ingested via food, water and direct contact with fecal contamination.MethodsWe estimated the prevalence of AMR Escherichia coli from select drinking water sources in northern Tanzania. Water samples (n = 155) were collected and plated onto Hi-Crome E. coli and MacConkey agar. Presumptive E. coli were confirmed by using a uidA PCR assay. Antibiotic susceptibility breakpoint assays were used to determine the resistance patterns of each isolate for 10 antibiotics. Isolates were also characterized by select PCR genotyping and macro-restriction digest assays.Results E. coli was isolated from 71 % of the water samples, and of the 1819 E. coli tested, 46.9 % were resistant to one or more antibiotics. Resistance to ampicillin, streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, and trimethoprim was significantly higher (15–30 %) compared to other tested antibiotics (0–6 %; P < 0.05). Of the β-lactam-resistant isolates, bla TEM-1 was predominant (67 %) followed by bla CTX-M (17.7 %) and bla SHV-1 (6.0 %). Among the tetracycline-resistant isolates, tet(A) was predominant (57.4 %) followed by tet(B) (24.0 %). E. coli isolates obtained from these water sources were genetically diverse with few matching macro-restriction digest patterns.ConclusionWater supplies in northern Tanzania may be a source of AMR E. coli for people and animals. Further studies are needed to identify the source of these contaminants and devise effective intervention strategies.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12866-016-0870-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Preliminary insights into the occurrence of similar clones of extended‐spectrum beta‐lactamase‐producing bacteria in humans, animals and the environment in Tanzania: A systematic review and meta‐analysis between 2005 and 2016

“…Similar to the previous study carried out in three European countries to establish the clonality of ESBL‐ E. coli in humans, animals and food animals (Wu et al., ), bla CTX‐M‐group 1 in particular bla CTX‐M‐15 was the predominant allele in this review. Predominance of bla CTX‐M‐15 allele is in agreement with bacterial strains from drinking water sources in Tanzania, and clinical isolates in the North, West and South African countries such as Tunisia, Nigeria and South Africa (Lyimo et al., ; Storberg, ). However, this was different from bla CTX‐M‐2 in flamingos exported to Japan from Tanzania and bla CTX‐M‐14 in a nearby East African country, Kenya in urine specimens (Sato et al., ; Storberg, ).…”

“…Two strategies were employed in assessing potential bias in eligible studies, and as a result, two studies (Doijad et al., ; Mshana, Gerwing, et al, 2011) were excluded because they were conducted during an outbreak involving one strain of Enterobacter spp. Also, five studies were excluded because they included only genotypic detection of ESBL (Lyimo et al., ; Madoshi et al., ; Doijad et al, ; Mshana, Gerwing, et al., ; Sato et al., ), inclusion of these studies would have resulted into involvement of ESBL strains containing ESBL genes which are not expressed phenotypically (Figure ). Nevertheless, contributions of these studies were appraised and discussed in this review.…”

“…The ESBL‐PE burden among humans and animals has been widely described in Tanzania (Lupindu et al., ; Madoshi et al., ; Sonda et al., ), as opposed to their occurrence in the environmental sources (Lyimo, Buza, Subbiah, Smith, & Call, ). There is high faecal carriage of ESBL strains among children and in the general population, which in turn may partly explain their involvement in fatal sepsis among vulnerable children population in this country (Blomberg et al., ; Kayange, Kamugisha, Mwizamholya, Jeremiah, & Mshana, ; Mhada, Fredrick, Matee, & Massawe, ).…”

Detection of extended‐spectrum beta‐lactamase production in Enterobacteriales from patients with suspected urinary tract infections, Tabora region, Rural Tanzania

“…Enterobacteriales has also been reported in up to 34% of healthy individuals (13) and high rates of antibiotic-resistant E. coli have been found in drinking water sources in Tanzania (14). The number of bacterial isolates was, however, low in this study and the bacteria were not identified to species level.…”

Incidence and molecular characterization of multidrug resistance in Gram‐negative bacteria of clinical importance from pharmaceutical wastewaters in South‐western Nigeria

“…Resistance to antimicrobial agents in clinically relevant Gram-negative bacteria is an increasingly important problem, which in the last few years has spread from the hospital setting to the community (Ghai & Ghai, 2018;Martínez-Martínez & Calvo, 2010). The emergence of antimicrobialresistant bacteria presents a major threat to public health because it reduces the effectiveness of antimicrobial treatment, leading to increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare expenditure (Lyimo, Buza, Subbiah, Smith, & Call, 2016). Studies have shown the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens in wastewaters discharged into water bodies (Guardabassi, Petersen, Olsen, & Dalsgaard, 1998;Pruden et al, 2006;Quach-Cu, Herrera-Lynch, Marciniak, & Adams, 2018;Reinthaler et al, 2003), leading to the challenges in antimicrobial therapy.…”