Prevalence of multidrug-resistant Campylobacter species in wastewater effluents: A menace of environmental and public health concern
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2024-05-08
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Helicobacter WILEY
Abstract
Abstract
The prevalence of multidrug-resistant
Campylobacter species in wastewater effluents
presents a formidable challenge at the intersection of environmental sustainability
and public health. This study examined the presence of multidrug-resistant
Campylobacter in wastewater effluents in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, and
its implications for environmental ecosystems and public health. Forty-five
samples
from household effluent (HHE) and wastewater treatment plant effluent (WWTPE)
were collected at different geographical locations within the province between April
and September 2022. The counts of the presumptive Campylobacter genus ranged
from 5.2 × 103 to 6.03 × 104 CFU/mL for HHE and 4.93 × 103 to 1.04 × 104 CFU/mL for
WWTPE. About 42.55% of the samples were positive for Campylobacter species. Five
virulence determinants including the cadF and wlaN were detected in all the isolates;
however, flgR (19.23%), ciaB, and ceuE (15.38%) were less prevalent. The antibiogram
profiles of confirmed Campylobacter isolates revealed high resistance (>55%) against
all tested antibiotics ranging from 55.77% (nalidixic acid) to 92.30% (erythromycin),
and resistance against the other antibiotics followed the order ciprofloxacin (51.92%),
azithromycin (50%), and levofloxacin (48.08%). On the contrary, gentamicin was sensitive
against 61.54% of the isolates, followed by imipenem (57.69%) and streptomycin
(51.92%). The WWTPE's antibiotic resistance index (ARI) was 0.19, lower than the permitted
Krumperman threshold of 0.2; and HHE's ARIs were higher. The isolates' respective
multiple antibiotic resistance indexes (MARI) varied between 0.08 and 1.00.
Among the phenotypically resistant Campylobacter isolates examined, 21 resistance
determinants encoding resistance against β-lactam,
carbapenems, aminoglycosides,
phenicol, quinolones, tetracyclines, and macrolides were detected, which explains the
phenotypic resistance observed in the study. This study concludes that the wastewaters
in the study areas are important reservoirs of multidrug-resistant
and potentially
pathogenic Campylobacter species, suggesting the need for proper treatment of the
wastewaters to eliminate the organisms in the effluents before discharge the final effluent
to the receiving watershed.