Long-term field application of sewage sludge increases the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes in soil

Sewage sludge recovered from wastewater treatment plants contains antibiotic residues and is rich in antibiotic resistance genes, selected for and enriched in the digestive tracts of human using antibiotics. The use of sewage sludge as a crop fertilizer constitutes a potential route of human exposure to antibiotic resistance genes through consumption of contaminated crops. Several gene targets associated with antibiotic resistance (catA1, catB3, ereA, ereB, erm(B), str(A), str(B), qnrD, sul1, and mphA), mobile genetic elements (int1, mobA, IncW repA, IncP1 groups -α, -β, -δ, -γ, -ε), and bacterial 16S rRNA (rrnS) were quantified by qPCR from soil and vegetable samples obtained from unamended and sludge-amended plots at an experimental field in London, Ontario. The qPCR data reveals an increase in abundance of gene targets in the soil and vegetables samples, indicating that there is potential for additional crop exposure to antibiotic resistance genes carried within sewage sludge following field application. It is therefore advisable to allow an appropriate delay period before harvesting of vegetables for human consumption.

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Microplastics act as vectors for antibiotic resistance genes in landfill leachate: The enhanced roles of the long-term aging process

Environmental Pollution ◽

10.1016/j.envpol.2020.116278 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 270 ◽

pp. 116278

Author(s):

Yinglong Su ◽

Zhongjian Zhang ◽

Jundong Zhu ◽

Jianhong Shi ◽

Huawei Wei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Resistance Genes ◽

Landfill Leachate ◽

Aging Process ◽

Antibiotic Resistance Genes

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Enhanced removal of antibiotic resistance genes and mobile genetic elements during sewage sludge composting covered with a semi-permeable membrane

Journal of Hazardous Materials ◽

10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122738 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 396 ◽

pp. 122738 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Peng Cui ◽

Yudan Bai ◽

Xi Li ◽

Zhiwei Peng ◽

Donghua Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Sewage Sludge ◽

Resistance Genes ◽

Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽

Mobile Genetic Elements ◽

Permeable Membrane ◽

Genetic Elements ◽

Sludge Composting

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High-throughput characterization of the expressed antibiotic resistance genes in sewage sludge with transcriptional analysis

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety ◽

10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111377 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 205 ◽

pp. 111377

Author(s):

Sai Xu ◽

Wenjing Lu ◽

Muhammad Zeeshan Qasim

Keyword(s):

Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Sewage Sludge ◽

High Throughput ◽

Resistance Genes ◽

Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽

Transcriptional Analysis

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Cohorting KPC+ Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC-Kp)–positive patients: A genomic exposé of cross-colonization hazards in a long-term acute-care hospital (LTACH)

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ◽

10.1017/ice.2020.261 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (10) ◽

pp. 1162-1168

Author(s):

Shawn E. Hawken ◽

Mary K. Hayden ◽

Karen Lolans ◽

Rachel D. Yelin ◽

Robert A. Weinstein ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Klebsiella Pneumoniae ◽

Acute Care ◽

Resistance Genes ◽

Acute Care Hospital ◽

Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Cross Transmission ◽

The Impact

AbstractObjective:Cohorting patients who are colonized or infected with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) protects uncolonized patients from acquiring MDROs in healthcare settings. The potential for cross transmission within the cohort and the possibility of colonized patients acquiring secondary isolates with additional antibiotic resistance traits is often neglected. We searched for evidence of cross transmission of KPC+ Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) colonization among cohorted patients in a long-term acute-care hospital (LTACH), and we evaluated the impact of secondary acquisitions on resistance potential.Design:Genomic epidemiological investigation.Setting:A high-prevalence LTACH during a bundled intervention that included cohorting KPC-Kp–positive patients.Methods:Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and location data were analyzed to identify potential cases of cross transmission between cohorted patients.Results:Secondary KPC-Kp isolates from 19 of 28 admission-positive patients were more closely related to another patient’s isolate than to their own admission isolate. Of these 19 cases, 14 showed strong genomic evidence for cross transmission (<10 single nucleotide variants or SNVs), and most of these patients occupied shared cohort floors (12 patients) or rooms (4 patients) at the same time. Of the 14 patients with strong genomic evidence of acquisition, 12 acquired antibiotic resistance genes not found in their primary isolates.Conclusions:Acquisition of secondary KPC-Kp isolates carrying distinct antibiotic resistance genes was detected in nearly half of cohorted patients. These results highlight the importance of healthcare provider adherence to infection prevention protocols within cohort locations, and they indicate the need for future studies to assess whether multiple-strain acquisition increases risk of adverse patient outcomes.

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