Microbial water quality and the detection of multidrug resistant E. coli and antibiotic resistance genes in aquaculture sites of Singapore

Ng C 1 , Chen H 2 , Goh SG 3 , Haller L 4 , Wu Z 5 , Charles FR 6 Show all authors , Trottet A 7 , Gin K 8

Affiliations 

  • 1 National University of Singapore, Department of Surgery, 1E Kent Ridge Road, NUHS Tower Block, Level 8, Singapore 119228, Singapore
  • 2 National University of Singapore, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1 Engineering Drive 2, E1A 08-03, Singapore 117576, Singapore. Electronic address: e0008539@u.nus.edu
  • 3 National University of Singapore, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1 Engineering Drive 2, E1A 08-03, Singapore 117576, Singapore. Electronic address: ceegsg@nus.edu.sg
  • 4 National University of Singapore, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1 Engineering Drive 2, E1A 08-03, Singapore 117576, Singapore. Electronic address: ceeltgh@nus.edu.sg
  • 5 National University of Singapore, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1 Engineering Drive 2, E1A 08-03, Singapore 117576, Singapore
  • 6 National University of Singapore, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1 Engineering Drive 2, E1A 08-03, Singapore 117576, Singapore. Electronic address: ceefrc@nus.edu.sg
  • 7 Danish Hydraulic Institute (DHI) Water and Environment, 1 Cleantech Loop, #03-05, CleanTech One, Singapore 637141, Singapore. Electronic address: atr@dhigroup.com
  • 8 National University of Singapore, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1 Engineering Drive 2, E1A 08-03, Singapore 117576, Singapore; National University of Singapore Environmental Research Institute (NERI), 5A Engineering Drive 1, T-labs, 08-03, Singapore 117411, Singapore. Electronic address: ceeginyh@nus.edu.sg
Mar Pollut Bull, 2018 Oct;135:475-480.
PMID: 30301062 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.07.055

Abstract

Poor microbial water quality jeopardizes the health and safety of food produced by aquaculture farms. Three fish farms and transect sites in Singapore were assessed for microbial water quality and antimicrobial resistance determinants. Of the 33 multidrug resistant E. coli isolated from surface waters of the Johor Straits, 81.8% were ESBL producers. The relative abundance of sul1, qnrA and intI1 genes were higher in sediments than surface waters. Among the surface water samples, higher concentrations (10-1-101) of beta-lactamases (blaSHV, blaOXA, blaCTX-M) were detected in the transect sites. This study highlights a potential antimicrobial resistance transmission chain from environmental waters, to animal carriers and humans.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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