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Monitoring the Occurrence and Distribution of Antibiotics, Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and...
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Monitoring the Occurrence and Distribution of Antibiotics, Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Environment

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2024) | Viewed by 7744

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jaqueline Rocha

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina (CBQF), Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal
Interests: antimicrobial resistance; microbial ecology; microbial diversity; comparative genomics; wastewater; soil

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I would like to invite you to submit your research related to the occurrence and distribution of antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in the environment. The intensive use of antibiotics has led to the spread of antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes into the environment, where they have been reported in different compartments such as water and soil. In fact, antibiotic resistance has been considered by the WHO as one of the major threats to human health and food security. Antibiotic resistance has been studied in many areas, from a One Health perspective, such as the impact of climate change in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance determinants among bacteria, and the impact of reusing treated wastewater for soil irrigation, due to water scarcity. However, although monitoring is being performed, there is a lack of key emerging contaminants that are associated with a higher risk and impact in ecosystems.

This Special Issue will focus on the monitoring of these emerging contaminants in the environment and their spread within the same compartment or between different compartments. This will be extremely important to target critical environmental compartments to be monitored and, ideally, to unveil a list of emerging contaminants with a higher impact in the environment to be monitored in future studies.

Dr. Jaqueline Rocha
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • antibiotics
  • antibiotic resistance genes
  • resistance dissemination
  • monitoring
  • environment

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 1583 KiB  
Article
Occurrence of Trace-Level Antibiotics in the Msunduzi River: An Investigation into South African Environmental Pollution
by Temesgen Zelalem Addis, Joy Tuoyo Adu, Muthukrishnavellaisamy Kumarasamy and Molla Demlie
Antibiotics 2024, 13(2), 174; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13020174 - 9 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1129
Abstract
The presence of antibiotics in the environmental matrix has raised concerns regarding their risk to the aquatic ecosystem and human health. Surface water, such as rivers, plays a pivotal role in the dispersion and transport of antibiotic residues. The effective monitoring of these [...] Read more.
The presence of antibiotics in the environmental matrix has raised concerns regarding their risk to the aquatic ecosystem and human health. Surface water, such as rivers, plays a pivotal role in the dispersion and transport of antibiotic residues. The effective monitoring of these contaminants requires investigating their sources and distribution. While numerous studies have been conducted globally to comprehend the emergence, prevalence, and management of these substances, the investigation of therapeutic antibiotics in Africa remains notably underrepresented. Consequently, data regarding these emerging contaminants in the African aquatic environments are scarce, warranting further exploration. This study aims to investigate the occurrence of four specific therapeutic antibiotics—tetracycline, sulfathiazole, penicillin g, and erythromycin—across different seasons in the Msunduzi River, Eastern South Africa. Three sampling campaigns were conducted during spring, autumn, and winter to assess the presence of these antibiotics in the river. Analyte extraction from water samples was achieved through solid-phase extraction, and quantification was performed using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. The findings reveal notable concentrations of these antibiotics in the river at locations closest to a wastewater treatment discharge point. Among the antibiotics studied, tetracycline (158.42–1290.43 ng/L) and sulfathiazole (112.68–1151.25 ng/L) were the most frequently detected compounds across the majority of the sampling sites and tributaries of the river. Erythromycin was less frequently detected in the surface water and wastewater effluent but was found to be a risk to algal species within the river. While wastewater effluents represent a significant source of antibiotic contamination in the river, tributaries from industrial areas and informal settlements were identified as continuous sources of antibiotic pollution. Thus, it is imperative to implement appropriate monitoring protocols to mitigate antibiotic pollution in the aquatic environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring the Occurrence and Distribution of Antibiotics, Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Environment)
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25 pages, 11355 KiB  
Article
Distribution of Antibiotic Resistance in a Mixed-Use Watershed and the Impact of Wastewater Treatment Plants on Antibiotic Resistance in Surface Water
by Sohyun Cho, Lari M. Hiott, Quentin D. Read, Julian Damashek, Jason Westrich, Martinique Edwards, Roland F. Seim, Donna A. Glinski, Jacob M. Bateman McDonald, Elizabeth A. Ottesen, Erin K. Lipp, William Matthew Henderson, Charlene R. Jackson and Jonathan G. Frye
Antibiotics 2023, 12(11), 1586; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12111586 - 2 Nov 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2087
Abstract
The aquatic environment has been recognized as a source of antibiotic resistance (AR) that factors into the One Health approach to combat AR. To provide much needed data on AR in the environment, a comprehensive survey of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), antibiotic resistance genes [...] Read more.
The aquatic environment has been recognized as a source of antibiotic resistance (AR) that factors into the One Health approach to combat AR. To provide much needed data on AR in the environment, a comprehensive survey of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and antibiotic residues was conducted in a mixed-use watershed and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) within the watershed to evaluate these contaminants in surface water. A culture-based approach was used to determine prevalence and diversity of ARB in surface water. Low levels of AR Salmonella (9.6%) and Escherichia coli (6.5%) were detected, while all Enterococcus were resistant to at least one tested antibiotic. Fewer than 20% of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae (17.3%) and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) (7.7%) were recovered. Six ARGs were detected using qPCR, primarily the erythromycin-resistance gene, ermB. Of the 26 antibiotics measured, almost all water samples (98.7%) had detectable levels of antibiotics. Analysis of wastewater samples from three WWTPs showed that WWTPs did not completely remove AR contaminants. ARGs and antibiotics were detected in all the WWTP effluent discharges, indicating that WWTPs are the source of AR contaminants in receiving water. However, no significant difference in ARGs and antibiotics between the upstream and downstream water suggests that there are other sources of AR contamination. The widespread occurrence and abundance of medically important antibiotics, bacteria resistant to antibiotics used for human and veterinary purposes, and the genes associated with resistance to these antibiotics, may potentially pose risks to the local populations exposed to these water sources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring the Occurrence and Distribution of Antibiotics, Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Environment)
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12 pages, 1017 KiB  
Article
Detection and Characterization of Carbapenemase-Producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae from Hospital Effluents of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
by Alix Bénédicte Kagambèga, René Dembélé, Léa Bientz, Fatima M’Zali, Laure Mayonnove, Alassane Halawen Mohamed, Hiliassa Coulibaly, Nicolas Barro and Véronique Dubois
Antibiotics 2023, 12(10), 1494; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12101494 - 29 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1578
Abstract
Hospital wastewater is a recognized reservoir for resistant Gram-negative bacteria. This study aimed to screen for carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae and their resistance determinants in two hospital effluents of Ouagadougou. Carbapenem-resistant E. coli and K. pneumoniae were selectively isolated from wastewater [...] Read more.
Hospital wastewater is a recognized reservoir for resistant Gram-negative bacteria. This study aimed to screen for carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae and their resistance determinants in two hospital effluents of Ouagadougou. Carbapenem-resistant E. coli and K. pneumoniae were selectively isolated from wastewater collected from two public hospitals in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Bacterial species were identified via MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Carbapenemase production was studied phenotypically using antibiotic susceptibility testing via the disk diffusion method. The presence of carbapenemases was further characterized by PCR. A total of 14 E. coli (13.59%) and 19 K. pneumoniae (17.92%) carbapenemase-producing isolates were identified with different distributions. They were, respectively, blaNDM (71.43%), blaVIM (42.86%), blaIMP (28.57%), blaKPC (14.29%), blaOXA-48 (14.29%); and blaKPC (68.42%), blaNDM (68.42%), blaIMP (10.53%), blaVIM (10.53%), and blaOXA-48 (5.26%). In addition, eight (57.14%) E. coli and eleven (57.89%) K. pneumoniae isolates exhibited more than one carbapenemase, KPC and NDM being the most prevalent combination. Our results highlight the presence of clinically relevant carbapenemase-producing isolates in hospital effluents, suggesting their presence also in hospitals. Their spread into the environment via hospital effluents calls for intensive antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring the Occurrence and Distribution of Antibiotics, Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Environment)
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20 pages, 2093 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Cefotaxime-Resistant Escherichia coli and sul1 and intI1 by qPCR for Monitoring of Antibiotic Resistance of Wastewater, Surface Water, and Recycled Water
by Krista Liguori, Jeanette Calarco, Gabriel Maldonado Rivera, Anna Kurowski, Ishi Keenum, Benjamin C. Davis, Valerie J. Harwood and Amy Pruden
Antibiotics 2023, 12(8), 1252; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12081252 - 29 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2493
Abstract
Awareness of the need for surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in water environments is growing, but there is uncertainty regarding appropriate monitoring targets. Adapting culture-based fecal indicator monitoring to include antibiotics in the media provides a potentially low-tech and accessible option, while quantitative [...] Read more.
Awareness of the need for surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in water environments is growing, but there is uncertainty regarding appropriate monitoring targets. Adapting culture-based fecal indicator monitoring to include antibiotics in the media provides a potentially low-tech and accessible option, while quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) targeting key genes of interest provides a broad, quantitative measure across the microbial community. The purpose of this study was to compare findings obtained from the culture of cefotaxime-resistant (cefR) Escherichia coli with two qPCR methods for quantification of antibiotic resistance genes across wastewater, recycled water, and surface waters. The culture method was a modification of US EPA Method 1603 for E. coli, in which cefotaxime is included in the medium to capture cefR strains, while qPCR methods quantified sul1 and intI1. A common standard operating procedure for each target was applied to samples collected by six water utilities across the United States and processed by two laboratories. The methods performed consistently, and all three measures reflected the same overarching trends across water types. The qPCR detection of sul1 yielded the widest dynamic range of measurement as an AMR indicator (7-log versus 3.5-log for cefR E. coli), while intI1 was the most frequently detected target (99% versus 96.5% and 50.8% for sul1 and cefR E. coli, respectively). All methods produced comparable measurements between labs (p < 0.05, Kruskal–Wallis). Further study is needed to consider how relevant each measure is to capturing hot spots for the evolution and dissemination of AMR in the environment and as indicators of AMR-associated human health risk. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring the Occurrence and Distribution of Antibiotics, Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Environment)
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