A comparison of extended spectrum [beta]-lactamase producing Escherichia coli from clinical, recreational water and wastewater samples associated in time and location

• Published in: PloS one 2017-10, Vol.12 (10), p.e0186576
• Main Authors: Jørgensen, Silje B, Søraas, Arne V, Arnesen, Lotte S, Leegaard, Truls M, Sundsfjord, Arnfinn, Jenum, Pål A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Escherichia coli; Genetic aspects; Microbial drug resistance; Wastewater
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186576

Extended spectrum [beta]-lactamase producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC) are excreted via effluents and sewage into the environment where they can re-contaminate humans and animals. The aim of this observational study was to detect and quantify ESBL-EC in recreational water and wastewater, and perform a genetic and phenotypic comparative analysis of the environmental strains with geographically associated human urinary ESBL-EC. Recreational fresh- and saltwater samples from four different beaches and wastewater samples from a nearby sewage plant were filtered and cultured on differential and ESBL-selective media. After antimicrobial susceptibility testing and multi-locus variable number of tandem repeats assay (MLVA), selected ESBL-EC strains from recreational water were characterized by whole genome sequencing (WGS) and compared to wastewater and human urine isolates from people living in the same area. We detected ESBL-EC in recreational water samples on 8/20 occasions (40%), representing all sites. The ratio of ESBL-EC to total number of E. coli colony forming units varied from 0 to 3.8%. ESBL-EC were present in all wastewater samples in ratios of 0.56-0.75%. ST131 was most prevalent in urine and wastewater samples, while ST10 dominated in water samples. Eight STs and identical ESBL-EC MLVA-types were detected in all compartments. Clinical ESBL-EC isolates were more likely to be multidrug-resistant (p