Detection and diversity of aeromonads from treated wastewater and fish inhabiting effluent and downstream waters

Abstract

a b s t r a c tA two-season investigation of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, of related waters, sludge and fish across a wide area and 11 stations, with emphasis on Aeromonas spp. was conducted. Aeromonas veronii was the prevailing aeromonad isolated by MALDI TOF MS in the summer period. A rise of Aeromonas hydrophila was observed in summer in raw sewage, treated wastewater and effluent-carrying canal. The ratio of aeromonad species retrieved from fish tissues did not correspond with the water and sludge findings, as in spring in the effluent-carrying canal fish carried Aeromonas salmonicida ssp. salmonicida and Aeromonas bestiarum, while in summer mainly A. veronii and Acinetobacter johnsonii were isolated from fish tissues in the same location. No correlation was established between fecal coliforms/ enterococci and aeromonad occurrence. All retrieved Aeromonas species demonstrated a distinct spectral pattern, with peaks showing unique mass distribution ranging from 4000 to 10,000 Da. Hierarchical clustering separated aeromonads of all isolated species and clustered closely related strains together. Resistance was determined towards amoxicillin, and frequently towards sulfamethoxazole and erythromycin. In summer, a high proportion of water and sludge Aeromonas species demonstrated multiple resistance patterns towards five or more antimicrobials. The quinolone resistance of water aeromonads was mostly related to A. veronii. There are potential health concerns regarding aeromonad exposure amongst recreational fishermen who come into contact with fish inhabiting waters downstream from the WWTP, and WWTP workers who are occupationally exposed to wastewaters and their aerosols.

Distinct Aeromonas Populations in Water Column and Associated with Copepods from Estuarine Environment (Seine, France)

“…Indeed, such Aeromonas species could be well adapted to a estuarine environment having a cooler surface water with mean temperature of 13.4°C (min: 5.3°C/ max 21.3°C). Except for A. salmonicida (Henriques et al, 2006), these species, previously observed in farmed fishes (water and fish) (Esteve et al, 1995; Schmidt et al, 2001; Hatha et al, 2005; Behbahani et al, 2014; Bartkova et al, 2016) and in waste water (Figueira et al, 2011; Marti and Balcázar, 2015; Popovic et al, 2015; Vaz-Moreira et al, 2015; Varela et al, 2016), have never been, as far as we know, described in coastal and anthropized estuary waters. Only the species A. hydrophila , A. caviae , A. sobria , and A. veronii have been reported in coastal or estuarine environments (the Adriatic Sea, Italy) (Dumontet et al, 1996; Fiorentini et al, 1998; Gugliandolo et al, 2008).…”

Monitoring Opportunistic Pathogens in Domestic Wastewater from a Pilot-Scale Anaerobic Biofilm Reactor to Reuse in Agricultural Irrigation

“…was conducted. They found that a rise of A. hydrophila was observed in summer in raw sewage, treated wastewater, and effluent-carrying canal [29]. The removal efficiency of microbial contaminants was evaluated from a local wastewater treatment plant and highlighted the potential risk associated with wastewater reuse for agricultural irrigation.…”

Differentiation of environmental aquatic bacterial isolates by MALDI-TOF MS

“…A few studies clearly demonstrate the usefulness of rapid discrimination of environmental and particularly aquatic bacteria, mostly Vibrio and Aeromonas strains (Donohue et al, 2007;Benagli et al, 2012;Eddabra et al, 2012, Schirmeister et al, 2014Topić Popović et al, 2015). Koubek et al (2012) recommend whole-cell MALDI-TOF MS over 16S rRNA for rapid screening and discrimination of various environmental bacterial isolates.…”