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The Prevalence of Virulent and Multidrug-Resistant Enterococci in River Water and in Treated and Untreated Municipal and Hospital Wastewater

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  • Anna Gotkowska-Płachta

    (Department of Water Protection Engineering and Environmental Microbiology, The Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Prawocheńskiego 1, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to describe the drug resistance and virulence of enterococci in river water sampled downstream (DRW) and upstream (URW) from the wastewater discharge point, to determine the pool of virulent and drug-resistant enterococci in untreated wastewater (UWW) and the extent to which these bacteria are eliminated from hospital wastewater (HWW) and municipal wastewater treated (TWW) by biological and mechanical methods in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). A total of 283 strains were identified with the use of culture-dependent methods and PCR, including seven different species including E. faecalis and E. faecium which were predominant in all analyzed samples. Majority of the strains were classified as multidrug resistant (MDR), mostly on streptomycin and trimethoprim. Strains isolated from wastewater and DRW harbored van genes conditioning phenotypic resistance to vancomycin, the highest percentage of vancomycin-resistant strains (57.0%), mostly strains harboring van C1 genes (27.6%), was noted in TWW. More than 65.0% of the isolated strains had different virulence genes, the highest number of isolates were positive for cell wall adhesin efa A and sex pheromones cob , cpd, and ccf which participate in the induction of virulence. Many of the strains isolated from TWW were resistant to a higher number of drugs and were more virulent than those isolated from UWW and HWW. The enterococci isolated from DRW and wastewater were characterized by similar multidrug resistance and virulence profiles, and significant correlations were observed between these groups of isolates. These findings suggest that pathogenic enterococci are released with TWW and can spread in the river, pose a serious epidemiological threat and a risk to public health.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna Gotkowska-Płachta, 2021. "The Prevalence of Virulent and Multidrug-Resistant Enterococci in River Water and in Treated and Untreated Municipal and Hospital Wastewater," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-18, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:2:p:563-:d:478481
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Benson Chuks Iweriebor & Sisipho Gaqavu & Larry Chikwelu Obi & Uchechukwu U. Nwodo & Anthony I. Okoh, 2015. "Antibiotic Susceptibilities of Enterococcus Species Isolated from Hospital and Domestic Wastewater Effluents in Alice, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-16, April.
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