Bacteria and Their Antibiotic Resistance Profiles in Ambient Air in Accra, Ghana, February 2020: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Godfred Saviour Kudjo Azaglo,Carl Fiati,Jewel Kudjawu,Katrina Hann,Hannock Tweya,Ebenezer Appah-Sampong,Collins Timire,Emmanuel Appoh,John Alexis Pwamang,Amos Akumwena,Meldon Ansah-Koi Agyarkwa,Mohammed Khogali,Japheth A Opintan,George Kwesi Hedidor,Anthony D Harries

doi:10.3390/tropicalmed6030110

Abstract

Inappropriate use of antibiotics has led to the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in ambient air. There is no published information about the presence and resistance profiles of bacteria in ambient air in Ghana. We evaluated the presence and antibiotic resistance profiles of selected bacterial, environmental and meteorological characteristics and airborne bacterial counts in 12 active air quality monitoring sites (seven roadside, two industrial and three residential) in Accra in February 2020. Roadside sites had the highest median temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and PM10 concentrations, and median airborne bacterial counts in roadside sites (115,000 CFU/m3) were higher compared with industrial (35,150 CFU/m3) and residential sites (1210 CFU/m3). Bacillus species were isolated in all samples and none were antibiotic resistant. There were, however, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas species, non-hemolytic Streptococci, Coliforms and Staphylococci species, of which six (50%) showed mono-resistance or multidrug resistance to four antibiotics (penicillin, ampicillin, ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone). There was a positive correlation between PM10 concentrations and airborne bacterial counts (rs = 0.72), but no correlations were found between PM10 concentrations and the pathogenic bacteria nor their antibiotic resistance. We call for the expansion of surveillance of ambient air to other cities of Ghana to obtain nationally representative information.

Highlights

Antibiotic resistance, the ability of bacteria to grow or survive in the presence of an antibiotic at a concentration that is usually sufficient to kill the bacteria, is a global public health threat
Roadside sites had a higher median temperature, a higher median relative humidity and a higher median wind speed compared with industrial sites, which in turn had higher median measurements compared with residential sites
With respect to PM10 concentrations, the median level was highest in the roadside sites, while residential sites had a higher median level compared with industrial sites

Summary

Introduction

Antibiotic resistance, the ability of bacteria to grow or survive in the presence of an antibiotic at a concentration that is usually sufficient to kill the bacteria, is a global public health threat. The emergence of antibiotic resistance can be linked to the irrational and indiscriminate use of antibiotics in human health and in the veterinary and agriculture sectors [2] These poor practices have led to the presence of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics in the environment, including ambient air [3,4]. The known sources of bacteria in ambient air include dry soil, plants, animals, dead and decaying animal bodies, sludge disposal sites, wastewater treatment plants and solid waste disposal sites [3,4]. Exposure to these bacteria may result in a number of adverse health effects [4] as airborne bacteria can be toxic, allergenic and/or infectious [5]. The World Health Organization (WHO) lists 12 priority bacteria that can affect human health through inhaled ambient air [7]

Results

Discussion

Conclusion