title: Fluoroquinolones and qnr genes in sediment, water, soil, and human fecal flora in an environment polluted by manufacturing discharges.
abstract: There is increasing concern that environmental antibiotic pollution promotes transfer of resistance genes to the human microbiota. Here, fluoroquinolone-polluted river sediment, well water, irrigated farmland, and human fecal flora of local villagers within a pharmaceutical industrial region in India were analyzed for quinolone resistance (qnr) genes by quantitative PCR. Similar samples from Indian villages farther away from industrial areas, as well as fecal samples from Swedish study participants and river sediment from Sweden, were included for comparison. Fluoroquinolones were detected by MS/MS in well water and soil from all villages located within three km from industrially polluted waterways. Quinolone resistance genes were detected in 42% of well water, 7% of soil samples and in 100% and 18% of Indian and Swedish river sediments, respectively. High antibiotic concentrations in Indian sediment coincided with high abundances of qnr, whereas lower fluoroquinolone levels in well water and soil did not. We could not find support for an enrichment of qnr in fecal samples from people living in the fluoroquinolone-contaminated villages. However, as qnr was detected in 91% of all Indian fecal samples (24% of the Swedish) it suggests that the spread of qnr between people is currently a dominating transmission route.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg , Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Carolin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rutgersson
authors.forename: Jerker
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fick
authors.forename: Nachiket
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marathe
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kristiansson
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Janzon
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Angelin
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: Yogesh
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shouche
authors.forename: Carl-Fredrik
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Flach
authors.forename: D G Joakim
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Larsson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D024841:Fluoroquinolones / Q000032:analysis*; D018628:Gene Dosage; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D012424:Rural Population; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D007220:Industrial Waste; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical