Tetracycline-Resistant Bacteria Selected from Water and Zebrafish after Antibiotic Exposure

Ana Rita Almeida, Marta Tacão, Joana Soares, Inês Domingues and Isabel Henriques
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Ana Rita Almeida: CESAM & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Marta Tacão: CESAM & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Joana Soares: CESAM & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Inês Domingues: CESAM & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Isabel Henriques: University of Coimbra, CESAM & Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Calçada Martins de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 6, 1-14

Abstract: The emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens due to worldwide antibiotic use is raising concern in several settings, including aquaculture. In this work, the selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) was evaluated after exposure of zebrafish to oxytetracycline (OTC) for two months, followed by a recovery period. The selection of ARB in water and fish was determined using selective media. The abundance of tetA genes was estimated through qPCR. Higher prevalence of ARB was measured in all samples exposed to the antibiotic when compared to control samples, although statistical significance was only achieved five days after exposure. Isolates recovered from samples exposed to the antibiotic were affiliated with Pseudomonas and Stenotrophomonas . Various antibiotic susceptibility profiles were detected and 37% of the isolates displayed multidrug resistance (MDR). The selection of the tetA gene was confirmed by qPCR at the highest OTC concentration tested. Two MDR isolates, tested using zebrafish embryos, caused significant mortality, indicating a potential impact on fish health and survival. Overall, our work highlights the potential impact of antibiotic contamination in the selection of potential pathogenic ARB and ARGS.

Keywords: Danio rerio; pathogenicity test; multidrug resistance; qPCR; microcosm (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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