PREVALENCE OF ANTIBIOTIC-DEGRADING ENZYME GENES IN HOSPITAL WASTEWATER-ASSOCIATED BACTERIAL COMMUNITIES: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71000/khw5md07Keywords:
Antibiotic Resistance; Beta-Lactamases; Bacterial Genes; Carbapenem Resistance; Environmental Monitoring; Hospital Wastewater; Polymerase Chain ReactionAbstract
Background: Hospital wastewater is a significant environmental reservoir for antimicrobial resistance, facilitating the dissemination of antibiotic-degrading enzyme genes that pose threats to public health. Understanding the distribution of these genes in effluent streams is essential for surveillance and control strategies.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of selected antibiotic-degrading enzyme genes in bacterial isolates recovered from hospital wastewater across multiple collection points.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted over three months in which wastewater samples were collected from five hospital discharge sites. Samples were cultured using standard microbiological techniques, followed by genomic DNA extraction. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assays were performed to detect key antibiotic-degrading enzyme genes, including blaTEM, blaCTX-M, blaNDM, and aac(6’)-Ib. Data were analyzed to determine gene prevalence and distribution across sampling sites.
Results: Among the cultured bacterial isolates, blaTEM was the most prevalent gene, followed by moderate detection of blaCTX-M and aac(6’)-Ib. A lower frequency of blaNDM was observed, though its presence remains clinically significant due to its association with carbapenem resistance. Gene distribution patterns showed no statistically significant variation among sampling sites, indicating uniform dissemination throughout the wastewater system.
Conclusion: The study highlights the presence of clinically important antibiotic-degrading enzyme genes in hospital wastewater, emphasizing the role of effluent environments in maintaining and spreading antimicrobial resistance. Strengthening wastewater treatment, monitoring programs, and resistance surveillance is critical to minimize environmental dissemination of these genes.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Zarmeena Gul, Akramullah, Muhammad Amir, Haroon Riaz, Sajjad Ahmad (Author)
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