Effect of Chlorine Exposure on the Survival and Antibiotic Gene Expression of Multidrug Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in Water

Deepti Prasad Karumathil, Hsin-Bai Yin, Anup Kollanoor-Johny and Kumar Venkitanarayanan
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Deepti Prasad Karumathil: Department of Animal Science, 3636 Horsebarn Hill Rd Ext., Unit 4040, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, CT 06269, USA
Hsin-Bai Yin: Department of Animal Science, 3636 Horsebarn Hill Rd Ext., Unit 4040, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, CT 06269, USA
Anup Kollanoor-Johny: Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, MN 55108, USA
Kumar Venkitanarayanan: Department of Animal Science, 3636 Horsebarn Hill Rd Ext., Unit 4040, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, CT 06269, USA

IJERPH, 2014, vol. 11, issue 2, 1-11

Abstract: Acinetobacter baumannii is a multidrug resistant pathogen capable of causing a wide spectrum of clinical conditions in humans. Acinetobacter spp. is ubiquitously found in different water sources. Chlorine being the most commonly used disinfectant in water, the study investigated the effect of chlorine on the survival of A. baumannii in water and transcription of genes conferring antibiotic resistance. Eight clinical isolates of A. baumannii , including a fatal meningitis isolate (ATCC 17978) (~10 8 CFU/mL) were separately exposed to free chlorine concentrations (0.2, 1, 2, 3 and 4 ppm) with a contact time of 30, 60, 90 and 120 second. The surviving pathogen counts at each specified contact time were determined using broth dilution assay. In addition, real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis of the antibiotic resistance genes (efflux pump genes and those encoding resistance to specific antibiotics) of three selected A. baumannii strains following exposure to chlorine was performed. Results revealed that all eight A. baumannii isolates survived the tested chlorine levels during all exposure times ( p > 0.05). Additionally, there was an up-regulation of all or some of the antibiotic resistance genes in A. baumannii , indicating a chlorine-associated induction of antibiotic resistance in the pathogen.

Keywords: Acinetobacter baumannii; water; chlorine; disinfection; antibiotic resistance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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