Antibiotic resistance in surface waters from a coastal lagoon of Southern Brazil under the impact of anthropogenic activities

  • Belize Leite Programa de Pós-Graduação em Microbiologia Agrícola e do Ambiente, Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, n° 500, CEP 90035-190, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
  • Magda Antunes de Chaves Programa de Pós-Graduação em Microbiologia Agrícola e do Ambiente, Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, n° 500, CEP 90035-190, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
  • Athos Aramis Thopor Nunes Programa de Pós-Graduação em Microbiologia Agrícola e do Ambiente, Laboratório de Bacteriologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, n° 500, CEP 90035-190, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
  • Louise Jank Laboratório de Análises de Resíduos de Pesticidas e Medicamentos, Laboratório Nacional Agropecuário (LANAGRO), Estrada Ponta Grossa, n° 3036, CEP 91780-580, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
  • Gertrudes Corção Instituto de Ciências Básicas e da Saúde, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Sarmento Leite, n° 500, CEP 90035-190, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4136/ambi-agua.2379
Keywords: anthropic impact, antibiotic resistance, aquatic bacteria, estuary.

Abstract

Wastes arising from human activities can reach water bodies and contribute significantly to the presence of antibiotic resistant bacterial populations in aquatic environments. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cultivable antibiotic resistant bacterial populations from a coastal lagoon impacted by agriculture and urbanization activities. Water samples were collected in low and peak season and characterized regarding physicochemical variables, microbiological indicators and the presence of antimicrobial residues. In order to analyze the presence of resistant bacterial populations, the samples were grown in the presence of nalidixic acid, ceftazidime, imipenem and tetracycline. Genes associated with β-lactamic resistance (blaCTX-M-like, blaGES-like, blaOXA-51, blaOXA-23-like, blaSHV-like, blaTEM-like and blaSPM-1), class I integron and efflux systems (tetA, tetB, acrA, acrB, tolC, adeA, adeB, adeR, adeS, mexB, mexD, mexF and mexY) were analyzed by conventional in vitro amplification. Although antimicrobials residues were below the detection limit, resistant bacteria and resistance determinants - blaGES, class I integron, adeS, acrA, acrB, tolC, mexB, mexF - were present at almost all points, in both seasons and for all antimicrobials assessed. The high numbers of resistant bacteria counts observed after the antibiotic treatment were positively correlated to the urbanization effects on the Lagoon. Some resistant populations were even higher in the low season samples, indicating the importance of a systematic evaluation of antibiotic resistance on water resources.


Published
24/09/2019
Issue
Vol. 14 No. 5 (2019)
Section
Papers

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