Seasonal resistome diversity and dissemination of WHO priority antibiotic-resistant pathogens in Lebanese estuaries

Abstract

Anthropogenic activities are demonstrated to be the key drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) dissemination in the environment. Lebanese rivers that lead to the Mediterranean Sea were sampled at estuaries sites, under high anthropogenic pressure, in spring 2017 and winter 2018 to study seasonal variation of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (ARBs) and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Methods: A combined approach using culture techniques and high throughput qPCR identified hotspots for antimicrobial resistance and anthropogenic pressure in particular locations along the Lebanese coast. Results: Multi-resistant Gram-negative (Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas spp) and Gram-positive bacterial pathogens were isolated. A high abundance of certain ARGs (vanB, blaBIC-1, blaGES, tetM, and mcr-1) was detected in 5 Lebanese estuaries. The relative abundance of ARGs was highest in winter and areas with high anthropogenic activities and population growth with an influx of refugees. Conclusion: Qualitative analysis of ARB and the analysis of the Lebanese estuaries resistome revealed critical levels of contamination with pathogenic bacteria and provided significant information about the spread of ARGs in anthropogenically impacted estuaries.