Rapid detection of drug-resistant Escherichia coli by Vitek 2 compact system

Authors

  • F Tshabuse Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, Private Bag X1001, kwaDlangezwa 3886, South Africa
  • N Buthelezi Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Durban University of Technology, PO Box 1334, Durban 4000, South Africa
  • AM Folami Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Durban University of Technology, PO Box 1334, Durban 4000, South Africa
  • L Donnelly Umgeni Water, PO Box 9, Pietermaritzburg 3200, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
  • FM Swalaha Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Durban University of Technology, PO Box 1334, Durban 4000, South Africa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17159/wsa/2022.v48.i4.3941

Keywords:

antibiotic resistance, bacterial identification, susceptibility, Vitek 2, wastewater treatment

Abstract

Sewage treatment facilities aim to reduce biological contaminants such as pathogenic bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses in wastewaters before discharging them to the receiving water bodies. However, several studies have shown the persistence of these contaminants throughout the sewage treatment process. In this study, the Vitek 2 compact system was used to detect the presence of Escherichia coli in three sewage treatment facilities located in the Pietermaritzburg urban area (South Africa), and its susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. E. coli has been recognized as an important Gram-negative rod-shaped human pathogen. The effluent and influent samples were analysed to determine the fate of E. coli and its susceptibility to 17 antimicrobial agents. The system identified the presence of drug-resistant E. coli in all of the tested samples, with the highest susceptibility being to ampicillin (33%) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (27%). The Vitek 2 compact system is a quick and powerful tool to identify antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in effluents and monitoring by this systemcan be used to prevent the outbreak of waterborne diseases.

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Published

2022-10-26

Issue

Vol. 48 No. 4 October (2022): Water SA

Section

Research paper

License

Copyright (c) 2022 F Tshabuse, N Buthelezi, AM Folami, L Donnelly, FM Swalaha

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons License

The content of this journal is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence.  Users are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal under the terms of this Licence, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author, provided the source is attributed. Copyright is retained by the authors.

How to Cite

F Tshabuse (2022) “Rapid detection of drug-resistant Escherichia coli by Vitek 2 compact system”, Water SA, 48(4 October). doi:10.17159/wsa/2022.v48.i4.3941.