Epidemiological study on the anthropogenic disseminated environmental pollutants in the aquatic ecosystem and their association with antimicrobial resistance emergence
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Date
2020-06
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Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become one of the main global threats for humans and the environment. The present study has been designed to determine the association of anthropogenic disseminated environment pollutants (antibiotics, pesticides and heavy metals) on anti-microbial resistance in aquatic ecosystems. In this study, 63 aquatic community and 14 private ponds were included from all seven tehsils of Ludhiana (Punjab). Three hundred eighty-five samples comprising ponds sediment, water and fish were collected and assessed for antibiotic, pesticide, heavy metal residues, water quality parameters and isolation of E.coli and its resistance genes. The results indicated that the antibiotic residues were present in sediment (11%), water (9.5%) and fish samples (4.8%), pesticide residues were noticed in sediment (28.57%) water (19.05%) and fish (6.34%) and all the metals (cadmium, lead, copper, arsenic and nickel) were seen with high concentrations in sediment samples followed by fish and water samples. None of the antibiotics and pesticides were detected in private ponds. Water quality parameters (BOD, DO and COD) in community ponds were found higher in Payal, Jagraon and Ludhiana east tehsils. Out of 385 samples, 62 E.coli were isolated with the prevalence in water samples (47.69%) followed by sediment (14.29%) and fish (12.59 %). Phenotypic and genotypic resistance profile of E.coli isolates reflected that 41.94%(26)were multi-antibiotic resistance(MAR).The relative frequency of resistance genes detected was: tet A (17)> tet B (13) >sul II(11) >tet C (9)= qnr S (9)> qnr B (8) >sul I (7)>qnr A(6).Regression modeling was conducted to find the association of anthropogenic
disseminated pollutants with MAR among isolates and observed that there was a significant (P<0.05) statistical association of BOD, lead and pesticides with MAR. To find the 0synergistic association of anthropogenic derived environmental pollutants with MAR, logistic regression analysis revealed that there was a statistically significant (P<0.05) synergistic association between Cd, Cu and pesticides for MAR. In contrast in private aquatic ponds no anthropogenic activities were seen. The results warrant that the anthropogenic activities are resulting in the release of AMR drivers (pesticides, heavy metals, antibiotics) in the aquatic ecosystem that may favor the generation of genetic hotspots for AMR emergence in the environment.