The prevalence of drug-resistant and virulent Staphylococcus spp. in a municipal wastewater treatment plant and their spread in the environment
W. Zieliński, Ewa Korzeniewska, Monika Harnisz, Jakub Hubeny, Martyna Buta, Damian Rolbiecki
Abstract
gene copies /ml for qacA/B. Some of analysed genes were identified in the isolates from both URW and DRW samples, as well as in genomic DNA of these samples. These results indicate that wastewater is not effectively treated in the analysed WWTP, which could contribute to the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) to the environment. An analysis of the genetic relatedness of selected isolates revealed clusters of strains originating from UWW samples, AS samples and the employees. These observations suggest that ARGs and ARB are transmitted by wastewater bioaerosols to the upper respiratory tract mucosa of the plant's employees, thus increasing their exposure to infectious factors.