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Isolation and Identification of Waterborne Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Molecular Characterization of their Antibiotic Resistance Genes
Published on: March 3, 2023
Antibiotic resistance in a very remote Amazonas community
Alessandro Bartoloni1, Lucia Pallecchi, Hugo Rodríguez
1Dipartimento di Area Critica Medico Chirurgica, Clinica di Malattie Infettive, Università di Firenze, Ospedale di Careggi, Florence, Italy. bartoloni@unifi.it
International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents
|October 25, 2008
Summary
Antibiotic resistance is prevalent even in remote communities with limited drug exposure. Commensal E. coli exhibit diverse resistance genes and plasmids, suggesting complex underlying mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genetics
- Public Health
Background:
- Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health concern.
- Understanding resistance in remote, low-exposure settings is crucial for public health.
- Commensal bacteria can harbor resistance genes that may transfer to pathogens.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate antibiotic resistance patterns in commensal Escherichia coli from a remote Amazonian community.
- To characterize the diversity of resistance genes, plasmids, and resistant clones.
- To compare resistance profiles with those in a nearby urban area and a previously studied Bolivian community.
Main Methods:
- Isolating and characterizing commensal Escherichia coli from human samples.
- Phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility testing against a panel of common antibiotics.
- Genotypic analysis to identify resistance genes, plasmids, and bacterial clones.
Main Results:
- High levels of acquired resistance to older antibiotics (ampicillin, tetracycline, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, streptomycin, chloramphenicol) were found.
- Remarkable diversity in resistant clones, resistance genes, and plasmids was observed.
- Resistance patterns were similar to a remote Bolivian community and a nearby urban area, but with lower prevalence and no quinolone resistance in the remote Peruvian site.
Conclusions:
- Antibiotic resistance in remote communities with minimal exposure is a widespread phenomenon.
- Complex mechanisms contribute to the observed resistance patterns.
- Findings offer new insights into the evolution and dissemination of antibiotic resistance.
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