Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.4
Journals
IJERPH
Special Issues
Environmental Reservoirs of Antimicrobial Resistance: Modern Challenges, Threats and Solutions
ijerph-logo
Submit to IJERPH Review for IJERPH Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Environmental Reservoirs of Antimicrobial Resistance: Modern Challenges, Threats and Solutions

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2021) | Viewed by 12603

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Aneta Nowakiewicz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
Interests: antimicrobial resistance mechanisms; wildlife zoonoses; indicator bacteria; livestock impact on environment; antimicrobial resistance circulation; public health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sebastian Gnat

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Institute of Preclinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
Interests: antifungals; antifungals resistance mechanisms; fungal zoonoses; natural antimycotics; asymptomatic carriers in animals; public health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the advent of antibiotics, the human race has been given tools to fight infectious diseases. Nevertheless, the incompetent use of this gift over several decades has prompted us to ask whether antimicrobials are a blessing or a curse. The constantly growing resistance among humans and animals subjected to targeted therapy, metaphylaxis, and even prophylaxis has resulted in the implementation of obligatory worldwide monitoring, determining the level and scope of resistance among pathogenic and indicator bacteria. Research of this type enables the collection of data and identification of new trends in resistance, but not in environmental reservoirs. The progressive urbanization of areas and the synanthropization of free-living animals is one of the determinants of the development of drug resistance. Free-living animals and the surrounding environment are increasingly being involved in the circulation cycle of both drug-resistant microorganisms and the horizontal exchange of resistance genes. Therefore, our intention is to try to assess this phenomenon in environments where, apart from antibiotics naturally produced by soil microorganisms, the development of resistance acquired as a result of human activities should not take place. Are there any possibilities to limit and control this process in such an environment? Can we identify the major environmental reservoirs and factors contributing to the spread of resistance in untreated animals, soil, water, and among other potential reservoirs or vectors (e.g., invertebrates)? We expect that this Special Issue will at least to some extent answer the questions posed, so we encourage you to share your experience in this topic.

Dr. Aneta Nowakiewicz
Dr. Sebastian Gnat
Guest Editors

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. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 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 2500 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

  • agricultural sources
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • environmental pollution
  • environmental protection
  • multi-drug resistance
  • reservoirs
  • residual antimicrobials
  • treatment of wastes
  • wastewater
  • water contamination
  • wildlife animals

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

11 pages, 1007 KiB  
Article
Mercury and Antibiotic Resistance Co-Selection in Bacillus sp. Isolates from the Almadén Mining District
by Marina Robas, Agustín Probanza, Daniel González and Pedro A. Jiménez
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(16), 8304; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18168304 - 05 Aug 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1796
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance (AR) in the environment is of great global concern and a threat to public health. Soil bacteria, including Bacillus spp., could act as recipients and reservoirs of AR genes of clinical, livestock, or agricultural origin. These genes can be shared between [...] Read more.
Antibiotic resistance (AR) in the environment is of great global concern and a threat to public health. Soil bacteria, including Bacillus spp., could act as recipients and reservoirs of AR genes of clinical, livestock, or agricultural origin. These genes can be shared between bacteria, some of which could be potentially human pathogens. This process can be favored in conditions of abiotic stress, such as heavy metal contamination. The Almadén mining district (Ciudad Real, Spain) is one of the environments with the highest mercury (Hg) contamination worldwide. The link between heavy metal contamination and increased AR in environmental bacteria seems clear, due to co-resistance and co-selection phenomena. In the present study, 53 strains were isolated from rhizospheric and bulk soil samples in Almadén. AR was tested using Vitek® 2 and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were obtained and interpreted based on the criteria of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Based on the resistance profiles, five different antibiotypes were established. The Hg minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of each strain was obtained using the plating method with increasing concentrations of HgCl2. A total of 72% of Bacillus spp. showed resistance to two or more commonly used antibiotics. A total of 38 isolates expressed AR to cephalosporins. Finally, the environmental co-selection of AR to cephalosporins and tetracyclines by selective pressure of Hg has been statistically demonstrated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Reservoirs of Antimicrobial Resistance: Modern Challenges, Threats and Solutions)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 833 KiB  
Article
Antimicrobial Resistance in Humans, Animals, Water and Household Environs in Rural Andean Peru: Exploring Dissemination Pathways through the One Health Lens
by Stella M. Hartinger, Maria Luisa Medina-Pizzali, Gabriela Salmon-Mulanovich, Anika J. Larson, María Pinedo-Bardales, Hector Verastegui, Maribel Riberos and Daniel Mäusezahl
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(9), 4604; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18094604 - 27 Apr 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3747
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health threat, especially for low and middle-income countries (LMIC) where the threat has not been fully identified. Our study aims to describe E. coli AMR in rural communities to expand our knowledge on AMR bacterial contamination. [...] Read more.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health threat, especially for low and middle-income countries (LMIC) where the threat has not been fully identified. Our study aims to describe E. coli AMR in rural communities to expand our knowledge on AMR bacterial contamination. Specifically, we aim to identify and describe potential dissemination routes of AMR-carrying bacteria in humans (children’s stools), community water sources (reservoirs and household sources), household environments (yard soil) and domestic animals of subsistence farmers in rural Andean areas. Our cross-sectional study was conducted in rural households in the region of Cajamarca, Peru. A total of 266 samples were collected. Thirty-four point six percent of reservoir water and 45% of household water source samples were positive for thermotolerant coliforms. Of the reservoir water samples, 92.8% were positive for E. coli, and 30.8% displayed resistance to at least one antibiotic, with the highest resistance to tetracycline. E. coli was found in 57.1% of the household water sources, 18.6% of these isolates were multidrug-resistant, and displayed the highest resistance to tetracycline (31.3%). Among samples from the children’s drinking water source, 32.5% were positive for thermotolerant coliforms, and 57.1% of them were E. coli. One third of E. coli isolates were multidrug-resistant and displayed the highest AMR to tetracycline (41.6%) and ampicillin (25%). Thermotolerant coliforms were found in all the soil samples, 43.3% of the isolates were positive for E. coli, 34.3% of the E. coli isolates displayed AMR to at least one antibiotic, and displayed the highest AMR to tetracycline (25.7%). We determined thermotolerant coliforms in 97.5% of the child feces samples; 45.3% of them were E. coli, 15.9% displayed multidrug resistance, and displayed the highest resistance to ampicillin (34.1%). We identified thermotolerant coliforms in 67.5% of the animal feces samples. Of those, 38.7% were E. coli, and 37.7% were resistant to at least one antibiotic. For all the samples, the prevalence of resistance to at least one antibiotic in the E. coli and Klebsiella spp. isolates was almost 43% and the prevalence of MDR in the same isolates was nearly 9%, yet the latter nearly doubled (15.9%) in children’s stools. Our results provide preliminary evidence for critical pathways and the interconnectedness of animal, human and environmental transmission but molecular analysis is needed to track dissemination routes properly. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Reservoirs of Antimicrobial Resistance: Modern Challenges, Threats and Solutions)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 1165 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli Isolates from Jurong Lake, Singapore with Whole-Genome-Sequencing
by Yang Zhong, Siyao Guo, Kelyn Lee Ghee Seow, Glendon Ong Hong Ming and Joergen Schlundt
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(3), 937; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18030937 - 22 Jan 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2565
Abstract
Background: The fast-spreading of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-producing E. coli) and ESBL genes has become a big challenge to public health. The risk of spreading ESBL genes and pathogens in the environment and community has raised public health concern. The [...] Read more.
Background: The fast-spreading of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-producing E. coli) and ESBL genes has become a big challenge to public health. The risk of spreading ESBL genes and pathogens in the environment and community has raised public health concern. The characterizing and whole-genome sequencing studies of ESBL-producing bacteria from reservoir water in Singapore is still limited. Materials and methods: The reservoir water sample was taken from two randomly selected sampling points of the Chinese Garden (Jurong river reservoir), which is a popular reservoir park in Singapore. The bacteria of the water sample were collected with 0.45 µm filter membranes and enriched before processing with ESBL-producing E. coli screening. The collected ESBL positive isolates were further characterized by both phenotypic tests including disc diffusion and microdilution Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) test, and also genotypic test as whole-genome sequencing analysis. Besides, to investigate the transferability of the resistance gene, a conjugation test was performed with the J53 E. coli strain as the gene receptor. Result: Nine ESBL-producing E. coli isolates were collected and confirmed as ESBL-producing with both phenotypic and genotypic tests. A potential pathogen as ST131 clade A isolate was identified, and all isolates were determined to harbor a blaCTX-M gene. Among them, strain J1E4 was resistant to polymyxin E and confirmed to harboring a conjugatable mcr-1 gene. Further genetic environment analysis has reflected a conversed gene cluster formed by insert sequence (IS), blaCTX-M-15, and WbuC family cupin-fold metalloprotein, which may potentially jump from the plasmids to the chromosome. Conclusion: The first time we reported the whole genome sequencing (WGS) data of ESBL-producing E. coli including potential pathogen (ST131) present in reservoir water in Singapore. The ESBL-producing E. coli from reservoir water also carrying conjugatable colistin resistance genes which may become a risk to human health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Reservoirs of Antimicrobial Resistance: Modern Challenges, Threats and Solutions)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 1623 KiB  
Article
Monitoring of Water Quality, Antibiotic Residues, and Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli in the Kshipra River in India over a 3-Year Period
by Nada Hanna, Manju Purohit, Vishal Diwan, Salesh P. Chandran, Emilia Riggi, Vivek Parashar, Ashok J. Tamhankar and Cecilia Stålsby Lundborg
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(21), 7706; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph17217706 - 22 Oct 2020
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 3728
Abstract
The emergence of antibiotic resistance is a major global and environmental health issue, yet the presence of antibiotic residues and resistance in the water and sediment of a river subjected to excessive anthropogenic activities and their relationship with water quality of the river [...] Read more.
The emergence of antibiotic resistance is a major global and environmental health issue, yet the presence of antibiotic residues and resistance in the water and sediment of a river subjected to excessive anthropogenic activities and their relationship with water quality of the river are not well studied. The objectives of the present study were a) to investigate the occurrence of antibiotic residues and antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) in the water and sediment of the Kshipra river in India at seven selected sites during different seasons of the years 2014, 2015, and 2016 and b) to investigate the association between antibiotic residues and antibiotic-resistant E. coli in water and sediment and measured water quality parameters of the river. Antibiotic residues and resistant E. coli were present in the water and sediment and were associated with the measured water quality parameters. Sulfamethoxazole was the most frequently detected antibiotic in water at the highest concentration of 4.66 µg/L and was positively correlated with the water quality parameters. Significant (p < 0.05) seasonal and spatial variations of antibiotic-resistant E. coli in water and sediment were found. The resistance of E. coli to antibiotics (e.g., sulfamethiazole, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacine, cefotaxime, co-trimoxazole, ceftazidime, meropenem, ampicillin, amikacin, metronidazole, tetracycline, and tigecycline) had varying associations with the measured water and sediment quality parameters. Based on the results of this study, it is suggested that regular monitoring and surveillance of water quality, including antibiotic residues and antibiotic resistance, of all rivers should be taken up as a key priority, in national and Global Action Plans as these can have implications for the buildup of antibiotic resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Reservoirs of Antimicrobial Resistance: Modern Challenges, Threats and Solutions)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop