The role of aquatic ecosystems as reservoirs of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes

Biyela, PT; Lin, Johnson; Bezuidenhout, Cornelius Carlos

doi:10.2166/wst.2004.0014

Cited by 93 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 11 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The intensive use of antibiotics in medicine and in animal farming has been suggested to be the source of such resistance (34,35), and V. cholerae strains isolated from seawater have been shown to be antibiotic resistant (23,24). The data presented here provide the first report of antimicrobial susceptibility for non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae from the Chesapeake Bay.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Non-O1/Non-O139 Vibrio cholerae Carrying Multiple Virulence Factors and V. cholerae O1 in the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland

Ceccarelli

Chen

Hasan

et al. 2015

Appl Environ Microbiol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

f Non-O1/non-O139 Vibrio cholerae inhabits estuarine and coastal waters globally, but its clinical significance has not been sufficiently investigated, despite the fact that it has been associated with septicemia and gastroenteritis. The emergence of virulent non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae is consistent with the recognition of new pathogenic variants worldwide. Oyster, sediment, and water samples were collected during a vibrio surveillance program carried out from 2009 to 2012 in the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. V. cholerae O1 was detected by a direct fluorescent-antibody (DFA) assay but was not successfully cultured, whereas 395 isolates of non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae were confirmed by multiplex PCR and serology. Only a few of the non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae isolates were resistant to ampicillin and/or penicillin. Most of the isolates were sensitive to all antibiotics tested, and 77 to 90% carried the El Tor variant hemolysin gene hlyA ET , the actin cross-linking repeats in toxin gene rtxA, the hemagglutinin protease gene hap, and the type 6 secretion system. About 19 to 21% of the isolates carried the neuraminidase-encoding gene nanH and/or the heat-stable toxin (NAG-ST), and only 5% contained a type 3 secretion system. None of the non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae isolates contained Vibrio pathogenicity island-associated genes. However, ctxA, ace, or zot was present in nine isolates. Fifty-five different genotypes showed up to 12 virulence factors, independent of the source of isolation, and represent the first report of both antibiotic susceptibility and virulence associated with non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae from the Chesapeake Bay. Since these results confirm the presence of potentially pathogenic non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae, monitoring for total V. cholerae, regardless of serotype, should be done within the context of public health. Vibrio cholerae, a waterborne bacterial pathogen, is an autochthonous inhabitant of riverine and estuarine aquatic environments. There are Ͼ200 serogroups, based on O antigenic characters, but only serogroups O1 and O139 have been associated with epidemic cholera, and both are considered a major public health threat for developing countries (1).Developed countries today rarely witness cholera cases caused by epidemic strains of V. cholerae, and outbreaks are typically travel associated (2). However, infections other than cholera can be caused by nonepidemic V. cholerae serogroups that are collectively referred to as non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae and are generally acquired through the consumption of raw or undercooked seafood. Non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae infections are continuously reported worldwide (3, 4), emphasizing their clinical significance. Although non-O1/non-O139 V. cholerae strains generally do not produce cholera toxin, other virulence factors contribute to their pathogenicity, including the hemolysin gene hlyA (5), the protease gene hapA (6), the cytotoxic actin cross-linking repeats in toxin gene rtxA (7), the sialidase gene nanH (8), the heat-stable toxin (NAG-ST) (9), a type 6...

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Non-O1/Non-O139 Vibrio cholerae Carrying Multiple Virulence Factors and V. cholerae O1 in the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland

Ceccarelli

Chen

Hasan

et al. 2015

Appl Environ Microbiol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Regardless of variance within Beaver Dam Creek, intI1 was consistently more abundant across multiple microhabitats in comparison with the reference site, Meyers Branch. Culture-based and molecular estimates of intI1 abundance in bacteria of environmental origin indicate that between 1% and 10% of bacteria possess these genes (C Baker-Austin, unpublished data; Nandi et al, 2004;Boucher et al, 2007), although Biyela et al (2004) found class 1 integrons in over 50% of isolates with multiple drug resistances from an urban South African river. Variation in the proportion of a bacterial community possessing class 1 integrons outside of clinical settings is likely to be the result of several factors including (1) distance to an enriched source of class 1 integrons (for example, sewage treatment plant); (2) integron dispersal ability (for example, mobilization of the integron via physical linkage to a plasmid or transposon); (3) the taxonomic composition of the community; (4) horizontal gene transfer potential in a given habitat; and (5) intensity of selective pressure favoring the maintenance of genes contained within the integron.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of industrial contamination on mobile genetic elements: class 1 integron abundance and gene cassette structure in aquatic bacterial communities

et al. 2008

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The acquisition of new genetic material via horizontal gene transfer allows bacteria to rapidly evolve. One key to estimating the contribution of horizontal gene transfer to bacterial evolution is to quantify the abundance of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in bacterial communities under varying degrees of selective pressure. We quantified class 1 integrase (intI1) gene abundance in total community DNA extracted from contaminated and reference riverine and estuarine microhabitats, and in metal-or antibiotic-amended freshwater microcosms. The intI1 gene was more abundant in all contaminant-exposed communities indicating that relative gene transfer potential is higher in these communities. A second key to assessing the contributions of MGEs to bacterial evolution is to examine the structure and function of the MGE-associated gene pool. We determined that the gene cassette pool is a novel and diverse resource available for bacterial acquisition, but that contamination has no discernible effect on cassette richness. Gene cassette profiles were more similar within sites than among sites, yet bacterial community profiles were not, suggesting that selective pressures can shape the structure of the gene cassette pool. Of the 46 sequenced gene cassette products, 37 were novel sequences, while the 9 gene cassettes with similarity to database sequences were primarily to hypothetical proteins. That class 1 integrons are ubiquitous and abundant in environmental bacterial communities indicates that this group of MGEs can play a substantial role in the acquisition of a diverse array of gene cassettes beyond their demonstrated impact in mediating multidrug resistance in clinical bacteria.

show abstract

“…However, several studies have focused on the transmission of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) between humans and terrestrial food animals (Barton 2000;Van den Bogaard and Stobberingh 2000), with less attention to the aquatic ecosystem including fish. This has left inadequate information available about the antimicrobial drug susceptibility of the aquatic ecosystem, a very important aspect in the epidemiology of AMR (Biyela et al 2004). In Uganda, high levels of antibiotic misuse (Mukonzo et al 2013); and antibiotic resistance in the human and livestock populations have been reported (Byarugaba 2004;Byarugaba et al 2011;UNAS 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence and antibiotic susceptibility of fish bacteria isolated from Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia) and Clarias gariepinus (African catfish) in Uganda

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The intention of this study was to identify the bacterial pathogens infecting Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia) and Clarias gariepinus (African catfish), and to establish the antibiotic susceptibility of fish bacteria in Uganda. A total of 288 fish samples from 40 fish farms (ponds, cages, and tanks) and 8 wild water sites were aseptically collected and bacteria isolated from the head kidney, liver, brain and spleen. The isolates were identified by their morphological characteristics, conventional biochemical tests and Analytical Profile Index test kits. Antibiotic susceptibility of selected bacteria was determined by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. The following well-known fish pathogens were identified at a farm prevalence of; Aeromonas hydrophila (43.8%), Aeromonas sobria (20.8%), Edwardsiella tarda (8.3%), Flavobacterium spp. (4.2%) and Streptococcus spp. (6.3%). Other bacteria with varying significance as fish pathogens were also identified including Plesiomonas shigelloides (25.0%), Chryseobacterium indoligenes (12.5%), Pseudomonas fluorescens (10.4%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4.2%), Pseudomonas stutzeri (2.1%), Vibrio cholerae (10.4%), Proteus spp. (6.3%), Citrobacter spp. (4.2%), Klebsiella spp. (4.2%) Serratia marcescens (4.2%), Burkholderia cepacia (2.1%), Comamonas testosteroni (8.3%) and Ralstonia picketti (2.1%). Aeromonas spp., Edwardsiella tarda and Streptococcus spp. were commonly isolated from diseased fish. Aeromonas spp. (n = 82) and Plesiomonas shigelloides (n = 73) were evaluated for antibiotic susceptibility. All isolates tested were susceptible to at-least ten (10) of the fourteen antibiotics evaluated. High levels of resistance were however expressed by all isolates to penicillin, oxacillin and ampicillin. This observed resistance is most probably intrinsic to those bacteria, suggesting minimal levels of acquired antibiotic resistance in fish bacteria from the study area. To our knowledge, this is the first study to establish the occurrence of several bacteria species infecting fish; and to determine antibiotic susceptibility of fish bacteria in Uganda. The current study provides baseline information for future reference and fish disease management in the country.

show abstract

The role of aquatic ecosystems as reservoirs of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes

Cited by 93 publications

References 11 publications

Non-O1/Non-O139 Vibrio cholerae Carrying Multiple Virulence Factors and V. cholerae O1 in the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland

Non-O1/Non-O139 Vibrio cholerae Carrying Multiple Virulence Factors and V. cholerae O1 in the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland

Influence of industrial contamination on mobile genetic elements: class 1 integron abundance and gene cassette structure in aquatic bacterial communities

Occurrence and antibiotic susceptibility of fish bacteria isolated from Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia) and Clarias gariepinus (African catfish) in Uganda

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About