AUTHOR=Bong Chui Wei , Low Kyle Young , Chai Lay Ching , Lee Choon Weng 

TITLE=Prevalence and Diversity of Antibiotic Resistant Escherichia coli From Anthropogenic-Impacted Larut River

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.794513

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.794513

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=<p>Aquatic environments, under frequent anthropogenic pressure, could serve as reservoirs that provide an ideal condition for the acquisition and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genetic determinants. We investigated the prevalence and diversity of antibiotic-resistant <italic>Escherichia coli</italic> by focusing on their genetic diversity, virulence, and resistance genes in anthropogenic-impacted Larut River. The abundance of <italic>E. coli</italic> ranged from (estimated count) Est 1 to 4.7 × 10<sup>5</sup> (colony-forming units per 100 ml) CFU 100 ml<sup>−1</sup> to Est 1 to 4.1 × 10<sup>5</sup> CFU 100 ml<sup>−1</sup> with phylogenetic group B1 (46.72%), and A (34.39%) being the most predominant. The prevalence of multiple antibiotic resistance phenotypes of <italic>E. coli</italic>, with the presence of <italic>tet</italic> and <italic>sul</italic> resistance genes, was higher in wastewater effluents than in the river waters. These findings suggested that <italic>E. coli</italic> could be an important carrier of the resistance genes in freshwater river environments. The phylogenetic composition of <italic>E. coli</italic> and resistance genes was associated with physicochemical properties and antibiotic residues. These findings indicated that the anthropogenic inputs exerted an effect on the <italic>E. coli</italic> phylogroup composition, diversification of multiple antibiotic resistance phenotypes, and the distribution of resistance genes in the Larut River.</p>