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Dekić Rozman S, Puljko A, Karkman A, Virta M, Udiković-Kolić N. Bacterial hosts of clinically significant beta-lactamase genes in Croatian wastewaters. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae081. [PMID: 38796694 PMCID: PMC11165274 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) provide a suitable environment for the interaction of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) from human, animal, and environmental sources. The aim was to study the influent and effluent of two WWTPs in Croatia to identify bacterial hosts of clinically important beta-lactamase genes (blaTEM, blaVIM, blaOXA-48-like) and observe how their composition changes during the treatment process. A culture-independent epicPCR (Emulsion, Paired isolation and Concatenation Polymerase Chain Reaction) was used to identify the ARG hosts, and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to study the entire bacterial community. Different wastewater sources contributed to the significant differences in bacterial composition of the wastewater between the two WWTPs studied. A total of 167 genera were detected by epicPCR, with the Arcobacter genus, in which all ARGs studied were present, dominating in both WWTPs. In addition, the clinically important genera Acinetobacter and Aeromonas contained all ARGs examined. The blaOXA-48-like gene had the highest number of hosts, followed by blaVIM, while blaTEM had the narrowest host range. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, ARG hosts were detected in both abundant and rare taxa. The number of hosts carrying investigated ARGs was reduced by wastewater treatment. EpicPCR provided valuable insights into the bacterial hosts of horizontally transmissible beta-lactamase genes in Croatian wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svjetlana Dekić Rozman
- Department of Microbiology, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9 00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana Puljko
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Antti Karkman
- Department of Microbiology, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marko Virta
- Department of Microbiology, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nikolina Udiković-Kolić
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
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Puljko A, Barišić I, Dekić Rozman S, Križanović S, Babić I, Jelić M, Maravić A, Udiković-Kolić N. Molecular epidemiology and mechanisms of carbapenem and colistin resistance in Klebsiella and other Enterobacterales from treated wastewater in Croatia. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 185:108554. [PMID: 38479059 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Among the most problematic bacteria with clinical relevance are the carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), as there are very limited options for their treatment. Treated wastewater can be a route for the release of these bacteria into the environment and the population. The aim of this study was to isolate CRE from treated wastewater from the Zagreb wastewater treatment plant and to determine their phenotypic and genomic characteristics. A total of 200 suspected CRE were isolated, 148 of which were confirmed as Enterobacterales by MALDI-TOF MS. The predominant species was Klebsiella spp. (n = 47), followed by Citrobacter spp. (n = 40) and Enterobacter cloacae complex (cplx.) (n = 35). All 148 isolates were carbapenemase producers with a multidrug-resistant phenotype. Using multi-locus sequence typing and whole-genome sequencing (WGS), 18 different sequence types were identified among these isolates, 14 of which were associated with human-associated clones. The virulence gene analysis of the sequenced Klebsiella isolates (n = 7) revealed their potential pathogenicity. PCR and WGS showed that the most frequent carbapenemase genes in K. pneumoniae were blaOXA-48 and blaNDM-1, which frequently occurred together, while blaKPC-2 together with blaNDM-1 was mainly detected in K. oxytoca, E. cloacae cplx. and Citrobacter spp. Colistin resistance was observed in 40% of Klebsiella and 57% of Enterobacter isolates. Underlying mechanisms identified by WGS include known and potentially novel intrinsic mechanisms (point mutations in the pmrA/B, phoP/Q, mgrB and crrB genes) and acquired mechanisms (mcr-4.3 gene). The mcr-4.3 gene was identified for the first time in K. pneumoniae and is probably located on the conjugative IncHI1B plasmid. In addition, WGS analysis of 13 isolates revealed various virulence genes and resistance genes to other clinically relevant antibiotics as well as different plasmids possibly associated with carbapenemase genes. Our study demonstrates the important role that treated municipal wastewater plays in harboring and spreading enterobacterial pathogens that are resistant to last-resort antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Puljko
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, P.O. Box 180, 10 002 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivan Barišić
- Molecular Diagnostics, Austrian Institute of Technology, Giefinggasse 4, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Svjetlana Dekić Rozman
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, P.O. Box 180, 10 002 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Stela Križanović
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, P.O. Box 180, 10 002 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivana Babić
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, P.O. Box 180, 10 002 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marko Jelić
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Mirogojska 8, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana Maravić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Split, Ruđera Boškovića 33, 21 000 Split, Croatia
| | - Nikolina Udiković-Kolić
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, P.O. Box 180, 10 002 Zagreb, Croatia.
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Grevskott DH, Radisic V, Salvà-Serra F, Moore ERB, Akervold KS, Victor MP, Marathe NP. Emergence and dissemination of epidemic-causing OXA-244 carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli ST38 through hospital sewage in Norway, 2020-2022. J Hosp Infect 2024; 145:165-173. [PMID: 38286237 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2023.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Population-based sewage surveillance has emerged as a promising approach for studying the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in pathogens. AIM To determine the temporal prevalence of cefotaxime-resistant Escherichia coli in sewage from five sewage treatment plants located in Bergen city, to determine whether ESBL- and carbapenemase-producing E. coli are consistently disseminated in the receiving environment through sewage. METHOD A total of 569 cefotaxime-resistant E. coli were isolated over a period of 19 months (August 2020 to February 2022) using ECC CHROMagar™ plates from 82 samples, antibiotic sensitivity profiles were determined, using Sensititre™ plates. The draft genome sequences were determined, using Illumina MiSeq-based sequencing. Complete genome sequences were determined, using Oxford Nanopore-based sequencing. FINDINGS All 569 strains obtained from influent (N=461) and effluent (N=108) were multi-drug resistant. Most of the sequenced strains (52 of 61) carried blaCTX-M-15 (38.5%) and blaCTX-M-27 (34.6%). The most prevalent sequence types (STs) for ESBL-carrying strains were ST131 (32.8%) and ST38 (21.3%). All CTX-M-27-carrying ST131 strains belonged to clade A or C1, while CTX-M-15-harbouring strains were present in all the clades. Five OXA-244-producing ST38 strains, genetically similar to epidemic-causing strains from Western Norway, France and the Netherlands, were isolated only from raw and treated sewage of the treatment plant receiving hospital sewage. CONCLUSION This is the first study showing persistent dissemination of OXA-244-producing ST38 clones through sewage in Norway, demonstrating that hospital sewage is the likely source of OXA-244-producing ST38 clones reaching the receiving environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- D H Grevskott
- Department of Contaminants and Biohazards, Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Bergen, Norway
| | - V Radisic
- Department of Contaminants and Biohazards, Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Bergen, Norway; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - F Salvà-Serra
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Clinical Microbiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden; Culture Collection University of Gothenburg (CCUG), Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Microbiology, Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - E R B Moore
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Clinical Microbiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden; Culture Collection University of Gothenburg (CCUG), Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Centre for Antibiotic Resistance Research (CARe), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - K S Akervold
- Water and Sewage Agency, Bergen Municipality, Bergen, Norway
| | - M P Victor
- Department of Contaminants and Biohazards, Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Bergen, Norway
| | - N P Marathe
- Department of Contaminants and Biohazards, Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Bergen, Norway.
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Puljko A, Babić I, Rozman SD, Barišić I, Jelić M, Maravić A, Parać M, Petrić I, Udiković-Kolić N. Treated municipal wastewater as a source of high-risk and emerging multidrug-resistant clones of E. coli and other Enterobacterales producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 243:117792. [PMID: 38048868 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales are a major public health problem, and wastewater from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is a potential means of spreading them into the environment and community. Our objective was to isolate ESBL-producing E. coli and other Enterobacterales from wastewater after treatment at Croatia's largest WWTP and to characterize these isolates by phenotypic and genotypic testing. Of the 200 bacterial isolates, 140 were confirmed as Enterobacterales by MALDI-TOF MS, with Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. predominating (69% and 7%, respectively). All 140 enterobacterial isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR) and produced ESBLs. The most prevalent ESBL genes among the isolates tested were blaCTX-M-15 (60%), blaTEM-116 (44%), and blaCTX-M-3 (13%). Most isolates (94%) carried more than one ESBL gene in addition to blaCTX-M. Genes encoding plasmid-mediated AmpC, most notably blaEBC, were detected in 22% of isolates, whereas genes encoding carbapenemases (blaOXA-48, blaNDM-1, blaVIM-1) were less represented (10%). In E. coli, 9 different sequence types (ST) were found, with the emerging high-risk clones ST361 (serotype A-O9:H30) and pandemic ST131 (serotype B2-O25:H4) predominating (32% and 15%, respectively). Other high-risk E. coli clones included ST405 (3%), ST410 (3%), CC10 (3%), ST10 (3%), and ST38 (2%), and emerging clones included ST1193 (2%) and ST635 (2%). Whole-genome sequencing of three representative E. coli from two dominant clone groups (ST361 and ST131) and one extensively drug-resistant K. oxytoca revealed the presence of multiple plasmids and resistance genes to several other antibiotic classes, as well as association of the blaCTX-M-15 gene with transposons and insertion sequences. Our findings indicate that treated municipal wastewater contributes to the spread of emerging and pandemic MDR E. coli clones and other enterobacterial strains of clinical importance into the aquatic environment, with the risk of reintroduction into humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Puljko
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, P.O. Box 180, 10 002, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivana Babić
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, P.O. Box 180, 10 002, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Svjetlana Dekić Rozman
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, P.O. Box 180, 10 002, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivan Barišić
- Molecular Diagnostics, Austrian Institute of Technology, Giefinggasse 4, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marko Jelić
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Mirogojska 8, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana Maravić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Split, Ruđera Boškovića 33, 21 000, Split, Croatia
| | - Marija Parać
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, P.O. Box 180, 10 002, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ines Petrić
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, P.O. Box 180, 10 002, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Nikolina Udiković-Kolić
- Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, P.O. Box 180, 10 002, Zagreb, Croatia.
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