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Antibiotic resistance profiles of Escherichia coli isolates from river sources in Durban, South Africa

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Abstract

Lack of access to potable water has forced many inhabitants of informal settlements in South Africa to rely on surface water sources for their daily water needs, thus exposing these communities to microbial contamination that can result in water-borne diseases. These water sources also serve as natural habitats of pathogenic E. coli strains which harbour virulence factors, which could play a role in the disease process, as well as various multi-drug resistant water-borne pathogens. This study investigated the microbiological quality of two river waters in Durban, South Africa, using total coliform and faecal coliform population as indices. The virulence markers and antibiogram profiles of the E. coli isolates from these rivers were also determined. The results indicated that water from these river sources were of poor microbiological quality and unfit for human consumption. Antibiotic Resistance Profiles of the isolates revealed that 97.1% of the Palmiet River isolates and 71.15% of the Umgeni River isolates were multi-resistant to the antibiotics tested, with all the isolates found to be resistant to novobiocin. Characterization of the virulence markers revealed the presence of stx1, cnf1 and eaeA genes, indicating the possible health risk associated with the ingestion of water from these rivers. The inherent health risks associated with the use of these river water emphasises the need for safe water supply and provision of proper sanitation facilities for the inhabitants of the informal settlements along these river banks.

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Acknowledgments

The Authors would like to thank Prof. U. Reischl (Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Regensburg, Germany) for the kind supply of DNA samples of positive control E. coli strains used in this study. This study was supported by the National Research Foundation and Water Research Commission of South Africa and the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.

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  1. Discipline of Microbiology, School of Biochemistry, Genetics, Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Private Bag X54001, Durban, 4000, Republic of South Africa

    Ademola O. Olaniran, Kovashnee Naicker & Balakrishna Pillay

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  1. Ademola O. Olaniran
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  2. Kovashnee Naicker
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  3. Balakrishna Pillay
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Correspondence to Ademola O. Olaniran.

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Olaniran, A.O., Naicker, K. & Pillay, B. Antibiotic resistance profiles of Escherichia coli isolates from river sources in Durban, South Africa. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 25, 1743–1749 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-009-0071-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-009-0071-x

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