ABSTRACTWidespread fecal pollution of surface waters in developing countries is a threat to public health and may represent a significant pathway for the global dissemination of antibiotic resistance. The Minjiang River drainage basin in Fujian Province is one of China's most intensive livestock and poultry production areas and is home to several million people. In the study reported here,Escherichia coliisolates (n= 2,788) were sampled (2007 and 2008) from seven surface water locations in the basin and evaluated by PCR for carriage of selected genes encoding virulence factors, primarily for swine disease. A subset of isolates (n= 500) were evaluated by PCR for the distribution and characteristics of class 1 integrons, and a subset of these (n= 200) were evaluated phenotypically for resistance to a range of antibiotics. A total of 666 (24%)E. coliisolates carried at least one of the virulence geneselt,fedA,astA,fasA,estA,stx2e,paa, andsepA. Forty-one percent of the isolates harbored class 1 integrons, and these isolates had a significantly higher probability of resistance to tobramycin, cefoperazone, cefazolin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, azitromycin, and rifampin than isolates with no class 1 integron detected. Frequencies of resistance to selected antibiotics were as high as or higher than those in fecal, wastewater, and clinical isolates in published surveys undertaken in China, North America, and Europe. Overall,E. coliin the Minjiang River drainage basin carry attributes with public health significance at very high frequency, and these data provide a powerful rationale for investment in source water protection strategies in this important agricultural and urban setting in China.
Association between the Presence of Class 1 Integrons, Virulence Genes, and Phylogenetic Groups of Escherichia coli Isolates from River Water