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The occurrence of antimicrobial residues and antimicrobial resistance genes in urban drinking water and sewage in Southern Brazil

  • Environmental Microbiology - Research Paper
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Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is currently discussed as an important issue worldwide, and the presence of antimicrobial residues (ARs) and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment, especially in the water sources, is a challenge for public health. This study was conducted to evaluate the occurrence and diversity of AR and ARG in water sources from an urban center, in Southern Brazil. A total of thirty-two water samples from drinking water treatment plants (24) and sewage systems (8) were collected during two annual samplings, winter and summer. The PCR was performed by 18 ARGs, and the detection of 47 ARs was performed by LC–MS/MS. All sewage samples presented carbapenemases, ESBL, and mcr-1 genes as well as quinolones and sulfamethoxazole residues. In drinking water, we just detected blaTEM and tetB genes and doxycycline residues in samples before treatment. This study provides data about AR and ARG in drinking water and sewage systems showing that these sources are important reservoirs of both. The limited effectiveness of wastewater treatment processes to remove mainly AR demonstrates the need to implement better protocols of disinfection, in order to limit the spread of AMR in the environment.

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Funding

The research leading to these results received funding from Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Grant/Award Number: Finance Code 001; Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Grant/Award Number: FAPERGS/MS/CNPq/SESRS N° 03/2017—PPSUS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Rafaela Ramalho, Lisiane Cervieri Mezzomo & Andreza Francisco Martins

  2. Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Microbiologia Agrícola E Do Ambiente, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    William Machado, Camila da Silva Morais Hein, Gertrudes Corção & Andreza Francisco Martins

  3. Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Camila Zanfelice Müller & Thaisla Cristiane Borella da Silva

  4. Laboratório Federal de Defesa Agropecuária – LFDA/RS, Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento,, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Louise Jank

  5. Diretoria Geral de Vigilância Em Saúde, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Alex Elias Lamas, Rogério Antônio da Costa Ballestrin & Anderson Araújo de Lima

  6. Laboratório de Pesquisa Em Resistência Bacteriana, LABRESIS, Centro de Pesquisa Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Priscila Lamb Wink & Andreza Francisco Martins

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  1. Rafaela Ramalho
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  2. Lisiane Cervieri Mezzomo
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Correspondence to Andreza Francisco Martins.

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Ramalho, R., Mezzomo, L.C., Machado, W. et al. The occurrence of antimicrobial residues and antimicrobial resistance genes in urban drinking water and sewage in Southern Brazil. Braz J Microbiol 53, 1483–1489 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-022-00786-2

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