Structure of Bacterial Community with Resistance to Antibiotics in Aquatic Environments. A Systematic Review.

Ana María Sánchez-Baena,Luz Dary Caicedo-Bejarano,Mónica Chávez-Vivas

doi:10.3390/ijerph18052348

Ana María Sánchez-Baena, Luz Dary Caicedo-Bejarano + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052348

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Abstract

Aquatic environments have been affected by the increase in bacterial resistant to antibiotics. The aim of this review is to describe the studies carried out in relation to the bacterial population structure and antibiotic resistance genes in natural and artificial water systems. We performed a systematic review based on the PRISMA guideline (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyzes). Articles were collected from scientific databases between January 2010 and December 2020. Sixty-eight papers meeting the inclusion criteria, i.e., “reporting the water bacterial community composition”, “resistance to antibiotics”, and “antibiotic resistance genes (ARG)”, were evaluated according to pre-defined validity criteria. The results indicate that the predominant phyla were Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes in natural and artificial water systems. Gram-negative bacteria of the family Enterobacteraceae with resistance to antibiotics are commonly reported in drinking water and in natural water systems. The ARGs mainly reported were those that confer resistance to β-lactam antibiotics, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, macrolides and tetracycline. The high influence of anthropogenic activity in the environment is evidenced. The antibiotic resistance genes that are mainly reported in the urban areas of the world are those that confer resistance to the antibiotics that are most used in clinical practice, which constitutes a problem for human and animal health.

Highlights

Anthropogenic activity directly affects aquatic environments and alters microbial community composition
This review summarizes selected studies related to the occurrence and relative abundance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARG), published from 2010 to 2020
As concerns studies in artificial waters (>19 studies), the study sites are distributed in Asia, Europe, and America, with the largest number of studies conducted in China

Summary

Introduction

Anthropogenic activity directly affects aquatic environments and alters microbial community composition. Resistant microorganisms and antimicrobial drugs are continuously discharged into water systems, favored by medical, veterinary, agricultural and industrial practices [1,2]. The most important sources of pollution are industrial and municipal discharges, constituting the main suppliers of sewage to aquatic environments [2,3,4,5,6,7]. Antibiotics contribute to bacterial stress, exerting a selective pressure that generates resistant bacteria and environmental deterioration. In addition to causing a strong negative impact on the health of humans, animals and plants, they alter the biogeochemical cycles in which bacteria are essential [3,4,5].

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