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Antimicrobial resistance, virulence genes, and ESBL (Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase) production analysis in E. coli strains from the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo River in Tamaulipas, Mexico

  • Environmental Microbiology - Research Paper
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Abstract

The Rio Grande/Rio Bravo River is used as a major water supply for diverse recreational, household, and industrial activities in Northeast Tamaulipas, Mexico, and South Texas. In this study, we sampled surface water from 38 sites along Rio Grande/Rio Bravo River (Díaz Ordaz, Reynosa and Matamoros). We isolated 105 E. coli strains that were molecularly and phenotypically characterized. The percentage of virulence genes detected in E. coli were: hlyA (15.23%), stx2 (11.42%), stx1 (9.52%), bfp (0.95%), and eae (0.0) and combinations of stx1/stx2 (2.85%), stx2/hlyA (1.90%), stx1/bfp (0.95%) and stx2/bfp (0.95%) were detected in these strains. Resistance to more than one antibiotic was detected in 85.71%, and 5.71% of strains were extended-spectrum β-lactamase-E. coli (ESBL-EC). These results indicate the presence of potentially pathogenic E. coli strains in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo River; therefore, it can be considered a reservoir of pathogenic strains and represents a health risk for the population.

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Acknowledgements

MGAA, GRS, and VBG received support from COFAA and EDI from IPN and SNI from CONACyT.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biotecnología Genómica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Boulevard del Maestro S/N Esq. Elías Piña, Colonia Narciso Mendoza. Reynosa, 88710, Tamaulipas, C.P, Mexico

    Rocío Requena-Castro, Ana Verónica Martínez-Vázquez, Gildardo Rivera & Virgilio Bocanegra-García

  2. Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico

    María Guadalupe Aguilera-Arreola

  3. Universidad del Valle de México, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico

    Wendy Lizeth Cruz-Pulido

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  1. Rocío Requena-Castro
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  2. María Guadalupe Aguilera-Arreola
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  3. Ana Verónica Martínez-Vázquez
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  4. Wendy Lizeth Cruz-Pulido
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  6. Virgilio Bocanegra-García
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The investigation, methodology, resources, writing the initial draft, [RCC, MGAA, AVMV, WLCP] writing – review & editing [GR, VBG], conceptualization, supervision [VBG].

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Correspondence to Virgilio Bocanegra-García.

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Requena-Castro, R., Aguilera-Arreola, M.G., Martínez-Vázquez, A.V. et al. Antimicrobial resistance, virulence genes, and ESBL (Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase) production analysis in E. coli strains from the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo River in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Braz J Microbiol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-024-01376-0

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