Potential enterovirulence and antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli isolates from aquatic environments in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Escherichia coli contamination in aquatic ecosystems has emerged as a relevant concern of public health impact, especially in developing areas. In this study, E. coli isolates were recovered from residential, industrial, agricultural, hospital wastewaters and recreational waters and, further characterized according to diarrheagenic potential, phylotyping and antimicrobial resistance phenotype. Among the total 178 E. coli isolates, antimicrobial resistance was detected in 37% to at least one of the 11 antimicrobials tested. The highest percentage of resistant E. coli was recovered from agricultural wastewaters (57.7%) followed by recreational waters (56.4%), hospital (34.5%), residential (22.7%) and industrial wastewaters (22.2%). Twenty-three resistance profiles (I-XXIII) were detected and 17 isolates exhibited the MDR phenotype. 11.2% of the total E. coli isolates carried diarrheagenic markers: astA (7.3%, 13/178), stx1 (2.8%, 05/178), escV (2.2%, 04/178) and estIa (0.6%, 01/178). All isolates harbored the uidA gene. E. coli isolates were mostly found in phylogenetic groups A (91.6%, 163/178) followed by groups D (5%, 09/178) and B2 (3.4%, 06/178). Specific gene combinations characterized E. coli pathotypes as ETEC (01/20), ATEC (04/20) and STEC (05/20) which belonged to A (75%, 15/20), D (15%, 03/20) and B2 (10%, 02/20) phylogroups. Our results revealed the widespread distribution of E. coli in aquatic systems in Rio de Janeiro. The circulation of pathogenic E. coli and antimicrobial resistance within bacterial population represents high risk to ecosystem and human health and highlights epidemiological surveillance and sanitary improvement.