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Enhanced Extraction of Low-Molecular Weight DNA from Wastewater for Comprehensive Assessment of Antimicrobial Resistance
Published on: July 19, 2024
Epidemiological link between wastewater and human vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates.
Malihe Talebi1, Fateh Rahimi, Mohammad Katouli
1Department of Microbiology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
Current Microbiology
|February 23, 2008
Summary
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) were found in both wastewater and clinical samples. A shared genetic pattern suggests a potential link between VRE in sewage and human infections, highlighting environmental surveillance importance.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Environmental Science
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are a significant public health concern.
- Wastewater serves as a potential reservoir for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of VRE in wastewater and clinical samples.
- To compare the genetic characteristics of VRE from these two sources.
- To determine potential epidemiological links between environmental and clinical VRE.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and identification of Enterococcus faecium.
- Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, including vancomycin resistance.
- Molecular typing techniques such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).
- Comparison of phenotyping and genotyping patterns between wastewater and clinical isolates.
Main Results:
- VRE were detected in both wastewater (19/593) and clinical (19/450) samples.
- 38 Enterococcus faecium isolates exhibited high-level vancomycin resistance.
- Most VRE isolates displayed distinct phenotyping and genotyping profiles.
- A common PFGE pattern was identified in VRE from both wastewater and clinical sources, indicating a possible epidemiological connection.
Conclusions:
- Wastewater harbors VRE, posing a potential risk for community and hospital-acquired infections.
- The shared PFGE pattern suggests environmental contamination or transmission pathways.
- Environmental surveillance of VRE in wastewater is crucial for understanding and controlling resistance spread.
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