The International Conference on Bacteria and Global Health
Date:
- Poster title: “Conjugative plasmids-associated to shape the antibiotic resistance dissemination prevalence in European wastewater sewers”
- Abstract: Antibiotic resistance (AR) surveillance is a key objective in the World Health Organization’s global action plan. Urban wastewater sewer systems serve as crucial reservoirs for environmental AR. The widespread prevalence of AR is partly attributed to the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), typically mediated by conjugative plasmids. However, large-scale investigation on conjugative plasmid-mediated ARGs in urban wastewater sewer systems remain scarce. In this study, we conducted an international surveillance of conjugative plasmids, obtained from wastewater sewers in hospital and residential settings in three medium-sized cities: Denmark, Spain, and the United Kingdom. A total of 797 conjugative plasmids were collected and their antibiotic susceptibilities were assessed using the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) guidelines. Based on results of AST, about 99% (790/797) of the 797 conjugative plasmids were found to be resistant to multiple of antibiotics. The conjugative plasmids’ resistance phenotypes in different countries are influenced to some extent by the antibiotic consumption of those countries. The analysis revealed distinct phenotypes of antibiotic resistance between plasmids from residential and hospital sewers at local and global scale. Among them, 96 specific plasmids exhibiting resistance to multiple antibiotic classes were selected for whole-genome sequencing using nanopore technologies. The sequencing analysis identified five types of mobilization systems (MOBs), seventeen types of incompatibility groups (Inc), and seventy-four types of ARGs among these plasmids. These broad-host-range conjugative plasmids were also as a critical role in HGT of β-lactamases genes, multidrug resistance genes and macrolides inside the bacteria communities in wastewater. This surveillance represents the most comprehensive profiling to date of the antibiotic resistance phenotype associated with conjugative plasmids in clinical and residential sewer systems across multiple countries. The findings emphasize the critical importance of enhancing surveillance of sewage-based antibiotic resistance and contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics of conjugative plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance, paving the way for informed strategies to combat this global challenge.