Emergence of Mobile Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Wastewater Environments: Evidence and Implications | Communications Biology
The Study
A new study by researchers from the University of Helsinki examined whether wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) contribute to the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment. The researchers found that WWTPs play a key role in the emergence of mobile antibiotic resistance genes.
The study sampled 47 wastewater samples from three Finnish WWTPs and analyzed them using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. The researchers looked for genes that are known to confer resistance to antibiotics, such as beta-lactams, tetracyclines, and aminoglycosides.
The Findings
The researchers found that wastewater from WWTPs contains a diverse range of ARGs, most of which are carried by mobile genetic elements (MGEs). These MGEs allow ARGs to move between different bacterial species and even between different environments, such as soil, water, and the gut of humans and animals.
The researchers also found that the abundance and diversity of ARGs were highest in the influent, or the wastewater that enters the WWTP, suggesting that WWTPs act as reservoirs of antibiotic resistance.
The Implications
The emergence of mobile antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater environments has significant implications for public health. Wastewater is discharged into the environment after treatment, and therefore, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and ARGs can enter freshwater, soil, and eventually human and animal populations.
Moreover, since MGEs can transfer ARGs between different bacterial species, including those that cause diseases, the emergence of mobile antibiotic resistance in wastewater environments could lead to the spread of untreatable infections.
The Takeaway
Antibiotic resistance is a global public health threat, and the emergence of mobile antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater environments is a cause for concern. The study highlights the need for more effective wastewater treatment processes that can remove antibiotic-resistant bacteria and ARGs before discharge into the environment.
The study also underscores the importance of antibiotic stewardship, the responsible use of antibiotics, to minimize the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic stewardship practices include prescribing antibiotics only when necessary, completing the full course of antibiotics as prescribed, and avoiding the use of antibiotics in animal feed and agriculture.
Hashtags
#antibioticresistance #wastewater #publichealth #antibioticstewardship #WWTPs
Summary: A new study by researchers from the University of Helsinki found that wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) contribute to the emergence of mobile antibiotic resistance genes in the environment. The study highlights the need for more effective wastewater treatment processes and antibiotic stewardship practices to minimize the spread of antibiotic resistance. #HEALTH
