Skip to main content

Write a PREreview

Environmental Dispersion of Multiresistant Enterobacteriaceae in Aquatic Ecosystems in an Area of Spain with a High Density of Pig Farming

Posted
Server
Preprints.org
DOI
10.20944/preprints202507.0362.v1

Background: Currently, an issue of increasing concern to public health authorities is the spread of multiresistant extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) - and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in the environment, mainly through aquatic ecosystems. Osona, a county in Catalonia, in northeastern Spain, has a high density of pig, goat and sheep farms as well as high employment in this sector and is therefore at high risk of this kind of biocontamination. Methods: Over the 2020–2023 study period the aims of our study were (a) to analyse the prevalence of ESBL- and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in water from several rivers flowing through Osona as well as all the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in it; (b) to genetically characterize all ESBL- and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae strains detected; and (c) to compare ESBL-producing E. coli environmental and human community strains to check for a common origin. Results: Multiresistant Enterobacteriaceae were detected in 15 out of 31 (48.4%) WWTPs, mainly ESBL-producing E. coli and an OXA-48-producing K. pneumoniae strain. Regarding river water, 4 strains of ESBL-producing E. coli and a strain of VIM-producing E. cloacae complex were isolated from 29 samples (17.2%). Finally, rectal carriage of ESBL-producing E. coli was detected in 66.7% of the Enterobacteriaceae-positive swab samples. Conclusions: These findings show a significant presence of ESBL- and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in water from rivers and WWTPs in Osona. The persistence of multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in WWTP effluents points to insufficient clearance during treatment processes. Several environmental and human strains of the multiresistant microorganisms identified in this study have a common ancestor, which suggests a similar origin.

You can write a PREreview of Environmental Dispersion of Multiresistant Enterobacteriaceae in Aquatic Ecosystems in an Area of Spain with a High Density of Pig Farming. A PREreview is a review of a preprint and can vary from a few sentences to a lengthy report, similar to a journal-organized peer-review report.

Before you start

We will ask you to log in with your ORCID iD. If you don’t have an iD, you can create one.

What is an ORCID iD?

An ORCID iD is a unique identifier that distinguishes you from everyone with the same or similar name.

Start now