Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters (한국미생물·생명공학회지)

The Korean Society for Microbiology and Biotechnology (한국미생물·생명공학회)
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Characterization of Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamases (ESBL) Producing Escherichia coli Isolates from Surface Water Adjacent to Pharmaceutical Industries in Bangladesh: Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Pattern

  • Taslin Jahan Mou (Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University) ;
  • Nasrin Akter Nupur (Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University) ;
  • Farhana Haque (Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University) ;
  • Md Fokhrul Islam (Institute of Quantitative Biology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh) ;
  • Md. Shahedur Rahman (Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Jashore University of Science and Technology) ;
  • Md. Amdadul Huq (Department of Food and Nutrition, College of Biotechnology and Natural Resource, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Anowar Khasru Parvez (Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University)
  • Received : 2023.05.21
  • Accepted : 2023.07.19
  • Published : 2023.09.28
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Abstract

The pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh produces a diverse range of antibiotics for human and animal use, however, waste disposal management is inadequate. This results in substantial quantities of antibiotics being discharged into water bodies, which provide suitable environment for the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, capable of spreading resistance genes. This study intended for exploring the bacterial antibiotic resistance profile in adjoining aquatic environmental sources of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in Bangladesh. Seven surface water samples were collected from the vicinity of two pharmaceutical industries located in the Savar area and 51 Escherichia coli isolates were identified using both phenotypic and genotypic methods. Antibiotic susceptibility tests revealed the highest percentage of resistance against ampicillin, azithromycin, and nalidixic acid (100%) and the lowest resistance against meropenem (1.96%) out of sixteen different antibiotics tested. 100% of the study E. coli isolates were observed with Multidrug resistance phenotypes, with the Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) value ranging from 0.6-1.0. Furthermore, 69% of the isolates were Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamases (ESBL) positive as per the Double Disk Diffusion Synergy Test (DDST). ESBL resistance genes blaTEM, blaCTX-M-13, blaCTX-M-15, and blaSHV were detected in 70.6% (n = 36), 60.8% (n = 32), 54.9% (n = 28), and 1.96% (n = 1) of the isolates, respectively, by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Additionally, 15.68% (n = 8) of the isolates were positive for E. coli specific virulence genes in PCR. These findings suggest that pharmaceutical wastewater, if not properly treated, could be a formidable source of antibiotic resistance spread in the surrounding aquatic environment. Therefore, continued surveillance for drug resistance among bacterial populations around drug manufacturing facilities in Bangladesh is necessary, along with proper waste disposal management.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The investigation has been supported by grants from the University Grant Commission (UGC), Ministry of Science and Technology, Bangladesh and Jahangirnagar University.

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