Exploring the potential reservoirs of non specific TEM beta lactamase (bla(TEM)) gene in the Indo-Gangetic region: A risk assessment approach to predict health hazards.
The emergence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria is an important public health and environmental contamination issue. Antimicrobials of β-lactam group accounts for approximately two thirds, by weight, of all antimicrobials administered to humans due to high clinical efficacy and low toxicity. This study explores β-lactam resistance determinant gene (blaTEM) as emerging contaminant in Indo-Gangetic region using qPCR in molecular beacon format. Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) approach was adopted to predict risk to human health associated with consumption/exposure of surface water, potable water and street foods contaminated with bacteria having blaTEM gene. It was observed that surface water and sediments of the river Ganga and Gomti showed high numbers of blaTEM gene copies and varied significantly (p<0.05) among the sampling locations. The potable water collected from drinking water facility and clinical settings exhibit significant number of blaTEM gene copies (13±0.44-10200±316 gene copies/100mL). It was observed that E.crassipes among aquatic flora encountered in both the rivers had high load of blaTEM gene copies. The information on prevalence of environmental reservoirs of blaTEM gene containing bacteria in Indo-Gangetic region and risk associated will be useful for formulating strategies to protect public from menace of clinical risks linked with antimicrobial resistant bacteria.
Environmental Microbiology, CSIR - Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Post Box - 80, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow, U.P., India; SARChI Chair, Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology (IWWT), Durban University of Technology, PO Box 1334, Durban, 4000, South Africa.
Gulshan
G
Singh
Environmental Microbiology, CSIR - Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Post Box - 80, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow, U.P., India.
Poornima
P
Vajpayee
Environmental Microbiology, CSIR - Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Post Box - 80, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow, U.P., India.
Neetika
N
Rani
SARChI Chair, Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology (IWWT), Durban University of Technology, PO Box 1334, Durban, 4000, South Africa.
Isaac Dennis
ID
Amoah
SARChI Chair, Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology (IWWT), Durban University of Technology, PO Box 1334, Durban, 4000, South Africa.
Thor Axel
TA
Stenström
Environmental Microbiology, CSIR - Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Post Box - 80, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow, U.P., India; Institute of Life Sciences, School of Science and Technology, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad-380009, Gujarat, India. Electronic address: rishi.shanker@ahduni.edu.in.
Rishi
R
Shanker
D060766:Drinking Water / Q000382:microbiology; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D045483:Rivers / Q000382:microbiology; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014873:Water Pollutants; D018440:beta-Lactam Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000235:genetics*; D047090:beta-Lactams / Q000494:pharmacology
D060766:Drinking Water; D014873:Water Pollutants; D047090:beta-Lactams; D001618:beta-Lactamases
Environmental reservoirs; Molecular beacon; Quantitative PCR; bla(TEM) gene; β-lactamase resistance