Relationship between environment spread and presence in hosts of Escherichia coli strains resistant to antibiotics and metals.
The antibiotic and metal resistance percentages of 315 E. coli strains, isolated from: a sample population not-exposed to antibiotics, hospitalized inpatients and from bred animals, were compared with the resistance percentages of 217 environmental isolates (sewage and river isolates). The highest levels of resistance and multiresistance were found for clinical and river isolates. A wider number of resistance markers, observed for environment isolates with respect to human and animal isolates, made it possible to hypothesis e that the resistant strains could possess some selective advantage that enhances their survival in the environment. Association of antibiotic resistance and metal-resistance has been demonstrated in all isolates but it is particularly evident in the environment and clinical isolates. Correlation analysis revealed that the patterns of antibiotic and metal resistance of environmental E. coli isolates are in good agreement with those of human origin and that sewage and river E. coli isolates are well correlated too.
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects*; D005618:Fresh Water; D006801:Humans; D008670:Metals / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012722:Sewage; D013552:Swine; D014871:Water Microbiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D008670:Metals; D012722:Sewage