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First Report and Comprehensive Risk Index of blaIMP-1-Harboring Brucella anthropi in Municipal Wastewater-Irrigated

Ling Zhao1, Yanhao Wu1, Runze Xu1

  • 1Department of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China.

Microorganisms
|March 28, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Brucella anthropi, an opportunistic pathogen, has acquired carbapenem resistance via plasmid-borne blaIMP-1. This resilient environmental bacterium poses a significant risk due to its adaptive survival traits and resistance mechanisms.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Environmental Science
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Brucella anthropi is an emerging opportunistic pathogen with intrinsic resistance to beta-lactams.
  • Carbapenem resistance acquisition in B. anthropi is rarely documented in any setting.
  • The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria in the environment poses a significant public health threat.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanisms of carbapenem and colistin resistance in a B. anthropi strain isolated from wastewater-irrigated soil.
  • To characterize the genetic elements, including plasmids and prophages, contributing to the adaptability and resistance of B. anthropi.
  • To assess the potential risk posed by B. anthropi as an environmental reservoir for antibiotic resistance genes.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation and phenotypic characterization of multidrug-resistant B. anthropi strain SBA01 from soil.
  • Whole-genome sequencing and analysis to identify resistance genes, plasmids, and other genetic elements.
  • Plasmid mobilization experiments to assess gene transfer potential to other bacterial species.
  • Genomic screening for virulence determinants and risk profiling.

Main Results:

  • The B. anthropi strain SBA01 exhibited resistance to carbapenems and colistin, independent of mcr genes.
  • The blaIMP-1 carbapenemase gene was located on a 21 kb plasmid, mobilized by a helper plasmid.
  • A 217 kb megaplasmid carrying a prophage was identified, contributing to genomic plasticity.
  • 32 putative virulence determinants were identified, suggesting host interaction capabilities.

Conclusions:

  • B. anthropi is an adaptive environmental reservoir for clinically relevant carbapenemases.
  • The strain possesses multidrug resistance, cryptic mobilization capacity, and opportunistic survival traits, elevating its hazard index.
  • Expanded surveillance is needed to evaluate occupational exposures at the wastewater-soil interface and mitigate risks associated with adaptive bacterial hosts.
Keywords:
Brucella anthropicarbapenemaseshorizontal gene transferplasmidswastewater treatment plant

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