Emergence of NDM-1-producing from reservoir water in Northeast Thailand.

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Antibiotic resistance is a major global health threat. The increasing prevalence of drug-resistant bacteria poses a serious challenge to the effective treatment of infections in both humans and animals. Water is a major source of human and animal exposure to bacteria, and the presence of drug-resistant bacteria in water could present a severe threat to public health and animal production. This study investigated the presence of drug-resistant bacteria in Lam Pao Dam (LPD) water in Kalasin, Thailand.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ampicillin-resistant strains were obtained from LPD water and identified using 16s rDNA sequencing. Antibiotic resistance genes were detected by polymerase chain reaction using specific primers. The presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria was evaluated using 16s amplicon analysis. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of strains against antibiotics was determined.

RESULTS

A total of 12 , 4 , and 4 isolates were resistant to ampicillin. Almost all strains harbored and genes, and two strains also harbored the gene. All four strains harbored the gene. The most abundant species in the LPD sample was , followed by and . The MICs of 10 strains against five antibiotics revealed that all strains were resistant to ampicillin but susceptible to meropenem, doripenem, ertapenem, and imipenem.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest a high prevalence of drug-resistant bacteria in LPD water. This is a cause for concern, as it could spread antibiotic-resistant infections in the community.