engleski

Findings of carbapenem-resistant bacteria in soil samples from Croatia

Carbapenems are considered as last-resort antibiotics, and the carbapenem-resistant bacteria (CRB) are currently deemed as the biggest microbial threat to human welfare. Since soil is considered as one of the most important environments for emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, we searched for cultivable CRB in soil samples from 14 locations, mainly those influenced by illegal dumps, across Croatia. We proposed cultivation of CRB from environmental samples at two temperatures to differentiate between ones that are intrinsically resistant (37°C) and ones with acquired resistance, which are presumably human-associated and clinically relevant (42°C). The Stenotrophomonas sp. were predominant among CRB37. Among CRB42 we found mostly bacteria from the family Enterobacteriaceae, Acinetobacter and Burkholderia species. The CRB37 were found in every soil, excluding one sample where pH was extremely low, and another where water content was extremely low. The CRB42 were found in most soil samples, but were absent from samples of non-contaminated pasture and forest, indicating that human-associated CRB are unlikely to be found in soils deprived of anthropogenic influence. The appropriate deposition of human solid waste is thus one of the means to prevent the spreading of CRB of clinical relevance to the soil.

carbapenem ; antibiotic resistance ; soil pollution, dissemination

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