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Abstract
Spread and persistence of antibiotic resistance pose a severe threat to human health, yet there is still lack of knowledge about reservoirs of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the environment. We took the opportunity of the Joint Danube Survey 3 (JDS3), the world's biggest river research expedition of its kind in 2013, to analyse samples originating from different sampling points along the whole length of the river. Due to its high clinical relevance, we concentrated on the characterization of Pseudomonas spp. and evaluated the resistance profiles of Pseudomonas spp. which were isolated from eight sampling points. In total, 520 Pseudomonas isolates were found, 344 (66.0%) isolates were identified as Pseudomonas putida, and 141 (27.1%) as Pseudomonas fluorescens, all other Pseudomonas species were represented by less than five isolates, among those two P. aeruginosa isolates. Thirty seven percent (37%) of all isolated Pseudomonas species showed resistance to at least one out of 10 tested antibiotics. The most common resistance was against meropenem (30.4%/158 isolates) piperacillin/tazobactam (10.6%/55 isolates) and ceftazidime (4.2%/22 isolates). 16 isolates (3.1%/16 isolates) were multi-resistant. For each tested antibiotic at least one resistant isolate could be detected. Sampling points from the upper stretch of the River Danube showed more resistant isolates than downriver. Our results suggest that antibiotic resistance can be acquired by and persists even in Pseudomonas species that are normally not in direct contact with humans. A possible scenario is that these bacteria provide a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes that can spread to related human pathogens by horizontal gene transfer.
Highlights
Multiresistant bacteria are present in many surface waters (Girlich et al, 2011; Czekalski et al, 2012; Tissera and Lee, 2013; Blaak et al, 2015; Maravic et al, 2015)
Pseudomonas species can be naturally found in all surface waters, lakes and rivers, but they are rarely found in drinking water
520 Pseudomonas spp. were isolated, the fewest isolates were obtained from JDS68 (32 isolates), and the highest number could be isolated from JDS28 sample with 117 isolates (Table 3)
Summary
Multiresistant bacteria are present in many surface waters (Girlich et al, 2011; Czekalski et al, 2012; Tissera and Lee, 2013; Blaak et al, 2015; Maravic et al, 2015). Water samples from the third Joint Danube Survey (JDS3), the world’s biggest river research expedition of its kind, offered a chance for evaluating resistance of bacteria over a whole river system. Based on these samples, a resistance profile of Pseudomonas spp. over the course of the multinational River Danube was created in our study. Pseudomonas species are known to harbor multiple intrinsic and acquired resistance genes, host several mobile genetic elements, and exchange them with other families of Gram negative bacilli like Enterobacteriaceae (Juan Nicolau and Oliver, 2010; Pfeifer et al, 2010). The occurrence and spread of carbapenemases have become a substantial global health problem, as they inactivate a substantial antibiotic class
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