Prevalence and Antibiogram Profiling of Escherichia coli Pathotypes Isolated from the Kat River and the Fort Beaufort Abstraction Water

Abstract

Escherichia coli is a widespread bacterium encompassing a variety of strains, ranging from highly pathogenic strains, causing worldwide outbreaks of severe diseases to avirulent, well characterized safe laboratory strains. This study evaluated the prevalence and antibiogram profiles of E. coli pathotypes isolated from the Kat River and Fort Beaufort abstraction water. A total of 171 out of 278 confirmed E. coli isolates were positive for at least one pathogenic determinant and these included enteropathogenic E. coli (6%), enterotoxigenic E. coli (47%), uropathogenic E. coli (2%), neonatal meningitis E. coli (5%), diffusely adherent E. coli (1%) and enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (1%). Interestingly, enteroinvasive and enteroaggregative E. coli were not detected. The phenotypic antibiogram profiles of the isolates revealed that all were resistant to penicillin G, while 98% and 38% of the pathotypes were resistant to ampicillin and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, respectively. About 8% of the isolates were resistant to streptomycin. More than half of the isolates exhibited multiple antibiotic resistance with 44% being resistant to three antibiotics and 8% resistant to four antibiotics. We conclude that the Kat River is a reservoir of potentially virulent antibiotic resistant E. coli strains that can cause serious health risks to humans who drink raw water from this river, or in the case that consumption of treated drinking water coincides with failed drinking water processes.

Antibiotic resistance and virulence genes in coliform water isolates

“…A Polish study showed that the occurrence of heat-stable toxin gene of ETEC, S. fimbriae subunit gene sfaS, and siderophore receptor genes, fyuA and intA in E. coli isolated from Warta River was associated with the presence of class 1 integrons (Koczura et al, 2013). In South Africa 171 out of 278 confirmed E. coli strains collected form Kat River and Fort Beaufort abstraction water were positive for at least one pathogenic determinant and these include EPEC, ETEC and EHEC (Nontongana et al, 2014) Summarizing the above, it can be said that diarrheagenic pathogenic E. coli are potentially more prevalent in warmer surface waters of India, USA, China and Australia than in cold waters of Germany. This could potentially be due to either better survival/growth or both of E. coli carrying VGs in warmer water.…”

Incidence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolates recovered from dairy farms in Amathole District Municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa

“…coli O157:H7 within the farm [9]. Consequently, cattle may become infected through grazing or by principal contact with the polluted water [12].…”

“…This E. coli O157:H7 serotype is mainly transmitted into the food production process through faecal contamination of meat, milk or fruit and vegetables when they come into primary or secondary contact with ruminants' faeces [4,8]. The other significant route of infection by E. coli O157:H7 in humans and animals is water A RT I C L E I N F O A B S T R AC T mainly used for irrigation, drinking and sometimes washing of fruits and vegetables [9]. A variety of resources and reservoirs of E. coli O157:H7 has been recognized [9][10][11], with cattle as the most important source of this serotype in outbreaks linked to undercooked ground beef and raw milk consumption [12].…”

“…A variety of resources and reservoirs of E. coli O157:H7 has been recognized [9][10][11], with cattle as the most important source of this serotype in outbreaks linked to undercooked ground beef and raw milk consumption [12]. Cattle waste contains a large range of microbial agents [4,11], and most dairy farms mainly depend on surface, stream or river water [9]. This type of water may become polluted with E. coli O157:H7 via primarily depositing faeces or animal waste used as manure or for many other agricultural activities [8,13].…”

“…The other significant route of infection by E. coli O157:H7 in humans and animals is water A RT I C L E I N F O A B S T R AC T mainly used for irrigation, drinking and sometimes washing of fruits and vegetables [9]. A variety of resources and reservoirs of E. coli O157:H7 has been recognized [9][10][11], with cattle as the most important source of this serotype in outbreaks linked to undercooked ground beef and raw milk consumption [12]. Cattle waste contains a large range of microbial agents [4,11], and most dairy farms mainly depend on surface, stream or river water [9].…”