Evaluation of Antibiotic Resistance in Bacterial Strains Isolated from Sewage of Slaughterhouses Located in Sicily (Italy)

Alessio Facciolà, Antonino Virga, Maria Eufemia Gioffrè and Pasqualina Laganà
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Alessio Facciolà: Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
Antonino Virga: Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, 98166 Messina, Italy
Maria Eufemia Gioffrè: Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy
Pasqualina Laganà: Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 18, 1-14

Abstract: Antimicrobial resistance is presently one of the most public health critical concerns. The frequent and often incorrect use of antibiotics in animal husbandry has led to the spread of antimicrobial resistance in this setting. Wastewater from slaughterhouses can be contaminated with multidrug-resistant bacteria, representing a possible cross-contamination route. We evaluated the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in wastewater samples from slaughterhouses located in an Italian region. Specifically, 18 slaughterhouses were included in the study. Of the tested samples, 40 bacterial strains were chosen, identified, and tested for antibiotic susceptibility. Pseudomonas spp., Proteus spp., Enterobacter spp., Aeromonas spp., and Citrobacter spp. were the most detected genera. The most resistant strains were on average those belonging to Enterobacter spp. The highest resistance rate was recorded for macrolides. Among ?-lactams, penicillins and cephalosporins were by far the molecules towards which the highest resistance was detected. A very interesting finding is the difference found in strains detected in wastewater from poultry slaughterhouses, in which higher levels for almost all the considered drugs were detected compared to those from ungulates slaughterhouses. Our results indicate wastewater from slaughterhouses as a potential vehicle of resistant bacteria and highlight the importance of correct management of these kinds of waters.

Keywords: wastewater; slaughterhouses; antibiotic resistance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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