Monitoring the Antibiotic Resistance Development of Escherichia coli in the River Environment: A Systematic Review

Abstract

One of the major challenges of the twenty-first century is antibiotic resistance in "One Health" humans, animals, and the environment, the spread of which limits treatment options for bacterial infections, increases mortality and causes economic damage. This article aims to offer a critical investigation of the development of antibiotic resistance of E. coli in rivers over the last 10 years. There is increasing interest in monitoring water environments, both surface water and sewage, which are major receptors, sources, and pathways of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB). Additionally, they facilitate the transfer and amplification of ARB. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a pathogen characterized by an increased level of resistance to antibiotics. A total of 3661 publications in the field of environmental, agricultural, and biological sciences were obtained from two databases (ScienceDirect and PubMed). Most publications in this field have focused on clinical isolates, which has led to a scarcity of information about natural environments, including rivers, which are important freshwater sources. Analysis 31 articles from 20 countries across five continents. The results showed that the highest resistance was against ampicillin (14/31), followed by ciprofloxacin (10/31) in the publications. Regarding antibiotic classes, the fluoroquinolone class showed a significant development in resistance. The development of multidrug resistance of E. coli to beta-lactam antibiotics and fluoroquinolones, such as trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, was noted in this review. Additionally, modern resistance to azithromycin and erythromycin was explored.