Vrancianu Ovidi
University of Bucharest, Romania
Title: Tracking down multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from hospital to the aquatic environment via the wastewater network
Biography
Biography: Vrancianu Ovidi
Abstract
Hospital sewages and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are hotspots for development and dissemination of antibiotic resistance. We have characterized multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDR Ab) strains isolated in the same temporal sequence from hospital infections (HI) and from two WWTPs collecting wastewaters (Is and Gl) from Northern Romania.
Experimental Procedure:
The strains isolated on carbapenem and third generation cephalosporin supplemented culture media were identified and characterized for their resistance profiles using phenotypic (disc-diffusimetric) and genetic (PCR and ERIC- PCR) methods.
Acknowledgements: This paper was co-financed from the Human Capital Operational Program 2014-2020, project number POCU / 380/6/13/125245 no. 36482 / 23.05.2019 “Excellence in interdisciplinary PhD and post-PhD research, career alternatives through entrepreneurial initiative (EXCIA)”, coordinator The Bucharest University of Economic Studies
Results: A total of 1 HI/34 WWTP MDR Ab (Is) and 28 WWTP MDR Ab strains (Gl) were isolated and tested for resistance. 40% of the Is clinical and water isolates showed resistance to all antibiotics tested. The resistance rates of Is WWTP vs Gl WWTP Ab strains were 71.4%/17.8 % (SAM), 94.2%/100% (FOX), 100%/82.1% (ATM), 80%/71.4% for (MEM), 82.8%/85.7% (CIP), 82.8%/78.5% (AK), 77.1%/57.1% (TE) (Table 1). Carbapenemase-encoding genes were revealed in 1 HI and 27 WWTP Ab strains from Iasi and in 18 WWTP Ab strains from Galati. Aminoglycosides-modifying enzymes were detected in 19 WWTP and 1 HI from Iasi and in 9 Gl WWTP Ab strains. The 1HI/34 WWTP Ab strains from Iasi belonged to 3 (Fig. 1) and the 28 Gl WWTP MDR Ab to 6 clones (Fig. 2).
Conclusion:
The MDR Ab strains circulating in the hospital and released in the wastewater environments in Northern Romania belonged to multiple clones and revealed high resistance rates to beta- lactams, quinolones, aminoglycosides and tetracyclines, >50% harbouring carbapenemases, thus essentially contributing to the environmental reservoir of antimicrobial resistance.