Poster Details
ENUMERATION AND GENE IDENTIFICATION OF EXTENDED-SPECTRUM-BETA-LACTAMASE-PRODUCING ENTEROBACTERIACEAE FROM IMPACTED URBAN STREAMS IN HALL COUNTY, GEORGIA, USA.
Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are a group of enzymes shown to rapidly evolve and confer resistance to a number of antibiotics, including beta lactams. Organisms that produce ESBLs pose both threats and challenges in the administration of appropriate agents to treat infections. ESBLs exhibit antibiotic resistance by destructing the antibiotics’ structure and are typically found encoded on bacterial plasmids that can easily be transferred between bacteria from the family Enterobacteriaceae. Water environments such as streams can help the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria which can originate from a variety of sources, including wastewater treatment plants, agricultural sources, and residential septic tank systems. An ongoing study is currently looking into the isolation and identification of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae from three streams: one in a heavily industrialized area close to a water treatment facility, one with some urban impact and one with very little urban impact. We compared enumeration and bacterial composition of water and biofilm among these streams of different quality. Water and biofilm samples were obtained and ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae were isolated, including ESBL-producing Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloaceae, and Shigella app.
Monica Leavell (Primary Presenter/Author), University of North Georgia, meleav3383@ung.edu;