title: Antibiotic resistance profiles of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from various Greek aquatic environments.
abstract: A large number of antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates are continuously discharged into natural water basins mainly through sewage. However, the environmental reservoirs of antibiotic resistance factors are poorly understood. In this study, the antibiotic resistance patterns of 245 isolates from various aquatic sites in Greece were analysed. Twenty-three isolates with resistance patterns cefotaxime-aztreonam-ceftazidime, cefotaxime-aztreonam-meropenem, cefotaxime-ceftazidime-meropenem, cefotaxime-ceftazidime-aztreonam-meropenem and cefotaxime-ceftazidime-cefepime-aztreonam-meropenem were screened phenotypically for the presence of extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), while 77 isolates with various resistant phenotypes were screened for the presence of class 1 and class 2 integrase genes. The aztreonam-resistant isolates and ESBL producers were the main resistant phenotypes in all habitats tested. In 13/77 isolates class 1 integron was detected, while all tested isolates were negative for the presence of the class 2 integrase gene. CTX-M group 9 β-lactamase was present in a small number of isolates (three isolates) highlighting the emergence of ESBL genes in aquatic environments. As a conclusion, it seems that Greek water bodies could serve as a potential reservoir of resistant P. aeruginosa isolates posing threats to human and animal health.
authors.affiliation: Central Public Health Laboratory, Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Athens, Greece Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece Department of Medical Laboratories Technological Educational Institute of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Pappa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Olga
authors.affiliation: Environmental Microbiology Unit, Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Vantarakis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Apostolos
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors.forename: Galanis
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alexis
authors.affiliation: Region of Western Greece, Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Vantarakis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: George
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Laboratories Technological Educational Institute of Athens, Athens, Greece amavridou@teiath.gr.
authors.forename: Mavridou
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Athena
mesh_terms: D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006115:Greece; D032023:Integrons; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000382:microbiology; D014871:Water Microbiology; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D062065:Wastewater; D001618:beta-Lactamases
keywords: ATM resistance; CTX-M group 9; ESBL; P. aeruginosa; integrons; water samples