Abstract
The study investigated the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence determinants in Vibrio species recovered from different freshwater sheds in rustic milieu. A total of 118 Vibrio isolates comprising Vibrio fluvialis (n=41), Vibrio mimicus (n=40) and V. vulnificus (n=37) was identified by amplification of ToxR, vmh and hsp60 genes. The amplification of virulence genes indicated that V. mimicus (toxR, zot, ctx, VPI, and ompU) genes were detected in 12.5%, 32.5%, 45%, 37.5% and 10% respectively. V. fluvialis genes (stn, hupO and vfh) were harboured in 48.8%, 14.6% and 19.5% isolates congruently. The other virulence genes that include vcgC and vcgE were observed in 63.1% and 29% of isolates belonging to V. vulnificus. With the exceptions of imipenem, meropenem and ciprofloxacin, most isolates exhibited more than 50% resistance to antibiotics. The antimicrobial resistance was more prevalent for polymyxin B (100%), azithromycin (100%) and least in ciprofloxacin (16.1%). Multiple antibiotic resistance index range was 0.3 and 0.8 with most isolates showing MARI of 0.8. The blaTEM, AmpC, blaGES, blaIMP, blaOXA-48 and blaKPC genes were detected in 53.3%, 42%, 29.6%, 16.6%, 15%, 11.3% and 5.6% of the isolates. Non-beta lactamases such as streptomycin resistance (aadA and strA), gentamicin resistance (aphA1) and quinolone resistance gene (qnrVC) were found in 5.2%, 44.3%, 26% and 2.8%. Chloramphenicol resistance genes (cmlA1 and catII) were found in 5.2% and 44.3% among the isolates. Our findings reveal the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes and virulent Vibrio species in aquatic environment which can have potential risk to human and animal’s health.
Highlights
Water containing infectious pathogens has been associated with ailments globally amongst human populations (Ramıŕ ez-Castillo et al, 2015)
The Eastern Cape is one of the nine provinces within South Africa; it is separated into two Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay and six district municipalities for local government purposes
The upsurge in various informal settlements around the country as well as the present poor conditions of some wastewater treatment plants have significantly contributed to the diminished quality of water sources found in most of the rural areas (Govender et al, 2011)
Summary
Water containing infectious pathogens has been associated with ailments globally amongst human populations (Ramıŕ ez-Castillo et al, 2015). Wastewater and sewage from several sources contribute to spreading antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to the environment and adversely impacting on the habitation of aquatic animals and their surrounding water (Fouz et al, 2020). Antibiotics are broadly used to manage or treat bacterial ailments in humans as well as in veterinary medicine The beginning of this millennium signifies the end of the golden era of antibiotics and the commencement of more alertness of the public health alertness on the distribution of antimicrobial resistance. Documented reports have emphasized the significant importance of various aquatic environments in the spread of AMR (Baquero et al, 2008) especially predominantly in wastewater effluents which are regarded as hot spots for horizontal genes transfer (Bouki et al, 2013). The aim of this study was to assess the antibiogram, virulence and resistance genes of non-cholera causing Vibrio species recovered from aquatic sources
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