Open AccessAbundance and antibiotic resistance of non‐O1 Vibrio cholerae strains in domestic wastewater before and after treatment in stabilization ponds in an arid region (Marrakesh, Morocco)
Author(s) -
Mezrioui N.,
Oufdou Kh.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
fems microbiology ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.377
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1574-6941
pISSN - 0168-6496
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6941.1996.tb00124.x
Subject(s) - biology , vibrio cholerae , microbiology and biotechnology , vibrionaceae , wastewater , antibiotic resistance , antibiotics , arid , bacteria , abundance (ecology) , cholera , veterinary medicine , ecology , environmental engineering , medicine , genetics , engineering
The abundance and antibiotic resistance of non‐O1 Vibrio cholerae strains were studied in wastewater before and after treatment in stabilization ponds in an arid Mediterranean climate. The seasonal abundance of non‐O1 Vibrio cholerae was the inverse of those of fecal coliforms, with high densities in hot periods and low densities in cold periods. Although the stabilization pond presents a good efficiency in removing fecal coliforms (97.97%), this treatment system did not produce any significant reduction in non‐O1 V. cholerae abundances between the inflow and outflow stations. Among the 240 non‐O1 V. cholerae strains isolated before and after treatment in the stabilization ponds, 89 (37.1%) isolates were resistant to at least one of 14 tested antibiotics. The levels of antibiotic resistance at the inflow and outflow points of the system were respectively 40 and 34%. High ampicillin, amoxicillin and mezlocillin resistance was observed at all sampling points, followed by resistance to cefalexin, cefoperazone and amikacin. Antibiotic resistance can be transferred from non‐O1 V. cholerae to other members of the Enterobacteriaceae family such as Escherichia coli K12. Transfer frequencies in nutrient broth and filtered wastewater were 3 × 10 −5 and 2 × 10 −8 , respectively.