skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Explore Research Products in the PAR
It may take a few hours for recently added research products to appear in PAR search results.


  • NSF Public Access
  • Search Results
  • Extended Spectrum β-Lactamase Activity and Cephalosporin Resistance in Escherichia coli from U.S. Mid-Atlantic Surface and Reclaimed Water
Title: Extended Spectrum β-Lactamase Activity and Cephalosporin Resistance in Escherichia coli from U.S. Mid-Atlantic Surface and Reclaimed Water
ABSTRACT Phylogenetic distribution and extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) activity of Escherichia coli recovered from surface and reclaimed water in the mid-Atlantic U.S. were evaluated. Among 488 isolates, phylogroups B1 and A were the most and least prevalent, respectively. Water type, but not season, affected phylogroup distribution. The likelihood of detecting group A isolates was higher in reclaimed than pond ( P <  0.01), freshwater river ( P <  0.01) or brackish river (P <  0.05) water. Homogeneity in group distribution was lowest in pond water, where group B1 comprised 50% of isolates. Only 16 (3.3%) isolates exhibited phenotypic resistance to one or more cephalosporins tested and only four had ESBL activity, representing groups B1, B2 isolates, and D. Phylogroup was a factor in antimicrobial resistance ( P <  0.05), with group A (8.7%) and D (1.6%) exhibiting the highest and lowest rates. Resistance to cefoxitin was the most prevalent. Multi- versus single drug resistance was affected by phylogroup ( P <  0.05) and more likely in groups D and B1 than A which carried resistance to cefoxitin only. The most detected β-lactam resistance genes were bla CMY-2 and bla TEM . Water type was a factor for bla CTX-M gene detection ( P <  0.05). Phenotypic resistance to cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime and ceftazidime, and genetic determinants for ESBL-mediated resistance were found predominantly in B2 and D isolates from rivers and reclaimed water. Overall, ESBL activity and cephalosporin resistance in reclaimed and surface water isolates were low. Integrating data on ESBL activity and β-lactam resistance among E. coli populations can inform decisions on safety of irrigation water sources and One Health. IMPORTANCE Extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria, that are resistant to a broad range of antimicrobial agents, are spreading in the environment but data remain scarce. ESBL-producing Escherichia coli infections in the community are on the rise. This work was conducted to assess presence of ESBL-producing E. coli in water that could be used for irrigation of fresh produce. The study provides the most extensive evaluation of ESBL-producing E. coli in surface and reclaimed water in the mid-Atlantic United States. The prevalence of ESBL producers was low and phenotypic resistance to cephalosporins (types of β-lactam antibiotics) was affected by season but not water type. Data on antimicrobial resistance among E. coli populations in water can inform decisions on safety of irrigation water sources and One Health.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1828910
PAR ID:
10348241
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Editor(s):
Villanueva, Laura
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Volume:
88
Issue:
15
ISSN:
0099-2240
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. ; ; ; (, Frontiers in Microbiology)
    IntroductionThe rise in extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producingEnterobacteriaceaein dairy cattle farms poses a risk to human health as they can spread to humans through the food chain, including raw milk. This study was designed to determine the status, antimicrobial resistance, and pathogenic potential of ESBL-producing -E. coliand -Klebsiellaspp. isolates from bulk tank milk (BTM). MethodsThirty-three BTM samples were collected from 17 dairy farms and screened for ESBL-E. coliand -Klebsiellaspp. on CHROMagar ESBL plates. All isolates were confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole genome sequencing (WGS). ResultsTen presumptive ESBL-producing bacteria, eightE. coli, and twoK. pneumoniaewere isolated. The prevalence of ESBL-E. coliand -K. pneumoniaein BTM was 21.2% and 6.1%, respectively. ESBL-E. coliwere detected in 41.2% of the study farms. Seven of the ESBL-E. coliisolates were multidrug resistant (MDR). The two ESBL-producingK. pneumoniaeisolates were resistant to ceftriaxone. Seven ESBL-E. colistrains carry theblaCTX-Mgene, and five of them co-harboredblaTEM-1. ESBL-E. colico-harboredblaCTX-Mwith other resistance genes, includingqnrB19,tet(A),aadA1,aph(3’’)-Ib,aph(6)-Id),floR,sul2, and chromosomal mutations (gyrA, gyrB, parC, parE, and pmrB). MostE. coliresistance genes were associated with mobile genetic elements, mainly plasmids. Six sequence types (STs) ofE. coliwere detected. All ESBL-E. coliwere predicted to be pathogenic to humans. Four STs (three ST10 and ST69) were high-risk clones ofE. coli. Up to 40 virulence markers were detected in allE. coliisolates. One of theK. pneumoniaewas ST867; the other was novel strain.K. pneumoniaeisolates carried three types of beta-lactamase genes (blaCTX-M,blaTEM-1andblaSHV). The novelK. pneumoniaeST also carried a novel IncFII(K) plasmid ST. ConclusionDetection of high-risk clones of MDR ESBL-E. coliand ESBL-K. pneumoniaein BTM indicates that raw milk could be a reservoir of potentially zoonotic ESBL-E. coliand -K. pneumoniae. 
    more » « less
  2. ; ; ; ; ; (, Life)
    Escherichia coli comprises diverse strains with a large accessory genome, indicating functional diversity and the ability to adapt to a range of niches. Specific strains would display greatest fitness in niches matching their combination of phenotypic traits. Given this hypothesis, we sought to determine whether E. coli in a peri-urban pond and associated cattle pasture display niche preference. Samples were collected from water, sediment, aquatic plants, water snails associated with the pond, as well as bovine feces from cattle in an adjacent pasture. Isolates (120) were obtained after plating on Membrane Lactose Glucuronide Agar (MLGA). We used the uidA and mutS sequences for all isolates to determine phylogeny by maximum likelihood, and population structure through gene flow analysis. PCR was used to allocate isolates to phylogroups and to determine the presence of pathogenicity/virulence genes (stxI, stxII, eaeA, hlyA, ST, and LT). Antimicrobial resistance was determined using a disk diffusion assay for Tetracycline, Gentamicin, Ciprofloxacin, Meropenem, Ceftriaxone, and Azithromycin. Our results showed that isolates from water, sediment, and water plants were similar by phylogroup distribution, virulence gene distribution, and antibiotic resistance while both snail and feces populations were significantly different. Few of the feces isolates were significantly similar to aquatic ones, and most of the snail isolates were also different. Population structure analysis indicated three genetic backgrounds associated with bovine, snail, and aquatic environments. Collectively these data support niche preference of E. coli isolates occurring in this ecosystem. 
    more » « less
  3. ; ; ; ; ; (, Journal of Water and Health)
    null (Ed.)
    Abstract In India, high rates of antibiotic consumption and poor sanitation infrastructure combine to pose a significant risk to the public through the environmental transmission of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The WHO has declared extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-positive Escherichia coli a key indicator for the surveillance of AMR worldwide. In the current study, we measured the prevalence of AMR bacteria in an urban aquatic environment in India by detecting metabolically active ESBL-positive E. coli. Water samples were collected in duplicate from 16 representative environmental water sources including open canals, drains, and rivers around Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. We detected culturable E. coli in environmental water at 11 (69%) of the sites. Out of the 11 sites that were positive for culturable E. coli, ESBL-producing E. coli was observed at 7 (64%). The prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli detected in the urban aquatic environment suggests a threat of AMR bacteria to this region. 
    more » « less
  4. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; (, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy)
    null (Ed.)
    ABSTRACT The ability of vancomycin-arginine (V-r) to extend the spectrum of activity of glycopeptides to Gram-negative bacteria was investigated. Its MIC towards Escherichia coli , including β-lactamase expressing Ambler classes A, B, and D, was 8 to 16 μg/ml. Addition of 8 times the MIC of V-r to E. coli was acutely bactericidal and associated with a low frequency of resistance (<2.32 × 10 −10 ). In vivo , V-r markedly reduced E. coli burden by >7 log 10 CFU/g in a thigh muscle model. These data warrant further development of V-r in combatting E. coli , including resistant forms. 
    more » « less
  5. ; ; (, Frontiers in Microbiology)
    null (Ed.)
    The co-existence of rats and humans in urban environments has long been a cause for concern regarding human health because of the potential for rats to harbor and transmit disease-causing pathogens. Here, we analyze whole-genome sequence (WGS) data from 41 Escherichia coli isolates collected from rat feces from 12 locations within the city of Chicago, IL, United States to determine the potential for rats to serve as a reservoir for pathogenic E. coli and describe its population structure. We identified 25 different serotypes, none of which were isolated from strains containing significant virulence markers indicating the presence of Shiga toxin-producing and other disease-causing E . coli . Nor did the E. coli isolates harbor any particularly rare stress tolerant or antimicrobial resistance genes. We then compared the isolates against a public database of approximately 100,000 E. coli and Shigella isolates of primarily food, food facility, or clinical origin. We found that only one isolate was genetically similar to genome sequences in the database. Phylogenetic analyses showed that isolates cluster by serotype, and there was little geographic structure (e.g., isolation by distance) among isolates. However, a greater signal of isolation by distance was observed when we compared genetic and geographic distances among isolates of the same serotype. This suggests that E. coli serotypes are independent lineages and recombination between serotypes is rare. 
    more » « less
  • Citation Formats
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago
  • BibTeX
  • Save / Share this Record
  • Send to Email