Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 22, 2026
15:19
Development of Sulfidogenic Sludge from Marine Sediments and Trichloroethylene Reduction in an Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor
Published on: October 15, 2015
Vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) in Swedish sewage sludge.
Leena Sahlström1, Verena Rehbinder, Ann Albihn
1Finnish Food Safety Authority, Evira, Mustialankatu 3, Helsinki, Finland. Leena.Sahlstrom@evira.fi
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica
|June 2, 2009
Summary
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) were widespread in Swedish sewage sludge, posing an environmental risk. However, VRE strains in sludge did not link back to local chickens or humans in this study.
Area of Science:
- Environmental microbiology
- Veterinary medicine
- Public health
Background:
- Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat, with resistance genes potentially spreading between animals, humans, and the environment.
- Sewage sludge is a potential conduit for the transmission of AMR between human and animal populations.
- Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are a significant concern in both human and animal healthcare.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and prevalence of VRE in treated sewage sludge at a Swedish wastewater treatment plant (WWTP).
- To compare VRE isolates from sewage sludge with those from human and chicken sources.
- To assess the potential role of sewage sludge in the One Health context of AMR transmission.
Main Methods:
- Weekly collection and culturing of sewage sludge for VRE over a four-month period.
- Biochemical typing (PhenePlate) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) for VRE strain analysis.
- Comparison of VRE isolates from sludge, humans, and chickens using antibiograms and molecular typing.
Main Results:
- Specific VRE strains were consistently detected in sewage sludge for up to 16 weeks.
- No epidemiological link was established between VRE strains found in sewage sludge and those isolated from humans or chickens in Sweden.
- Findings suggest that local chicken populations were not the source of VRE found in the studied sewage sludge.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms the widespread occurrence of VRE in treated sewage sludge, highlighting a potential environmental reservoir for AMR.
- The use of contaminated sewage sludge on agricultural land could facilitate the dissemination of VRE into the environment and potentially to new hosts.
- Further research is needed to understand the dynamics of VRE transmission through sewage sludge and its implications for One Health initiatives.
More Related Videos
10:53Concentration of Virus Particles from Environmental Water and Wastewater Samples Using Skimmed Milk Flocculation and Ultrafiltration
Published on: March 17, 2023
08:53Recurrent Escherichia coli Urinary Tract Infection Triggered by Gardnerella vaginalis Bladder Exposure in Mice
Published on: December 4, 2020
Related Concept Videos
01:30Microbial Wastewater Treatment
Microbial communities in aquatic ecosystems play a key role in the natural breakdown of contaminants introduced through domestic and industrial effluents. Acting as biological catalysts, these microbes change and mineralize a wide range of organic and inorganic pollutants under different redox conditions.In oxygen-rich surface waters, aerobic heterotrophs lead organic matter breakdown, using oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor to efficiently oxidize substrates to carbon dioxide and water.
01:30Biological Treatment of Effluent and Waste Water
Biological wastewater treatment relies on the metabolic activity of microorganisms to remove pollutants from sewage. In modern treatment systems, this process is organized into sequential stages that progressively reduce solid material, dissolved organic matter, and microbial contamination. Each stage plays a distinct role in improving water quality and preparing the effluent for safe discharge or reuse.Primary and Secondary TreatmentPrimary treatment is a physical process that removes large...
01:25Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) presents a critical public health threat, arising from its capacity to resist β-lactam antibiotics due to acquisition of the mecA gene within the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). This gene encodes penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a), which impairs binding efficacy of methicillin and other β-lactams. MRSA has evolved into distinct clonal lineages impacting humans and animals alike, reinforcing its significance within the One...
01:25Microbial Bioremediation of Uranium
Microorganisms play a critical role in the transformation and immobilization of uranium in contaminated environments through four main pathways: bioreduction, biosorption, bioaccumulation, and biomineralization. These mechanisms reduce uranium’s toxicity and prevent its migration through groundwater systems, offering sustainable approaches for in situ bioremediation.Bioreduction of UraniumBioreduction is driven by anaerobic bacteria such as certain strains of Geobacter and Shewanella, which use...
01:23Stringent Response in E. coli
Bacterial growth is closely tied to nutrient availability, with cells proliferating exponentially under favorable conditions and entering a stationary phase when resources become scarce. This transition is mediated by a regulatory mechanism known as the stringent response, which allows bacteria to adapt to nutrient deprivation by modulating gene expression and metabolic activity.During nutrient scarcity, intracellular amino acid levels decline. It results in the accumulation of uncharged tRNAs...
01:28Microbial Bioremediation of Pesticides
Pesticides often feature structurally complex chemical architectures, incorporating halogen groups and multiple aromatic rings. These characteristics confer high chemical stability, rendering many pesticides resistant to natural degradation processes. This resistance poses significant environmental concerns, as persistent pesticide residues can accumulate in ecosystems and affect non-target organisms.Despite the inherent stability of many pesticides, certain microorganisms possess the metabolic...