TY - JOUR
T1 - Humans and Hoofed Livestock Are the Main Sources of Fecal Contamination of Rivers Used for Crop Irrigation
T2 - A Microbial Source Tracking Approach
AU - Díaz-Gavidia, Constanza
AU - Barría, Carla
AU - Weller, Daniel L.
AU - Salgado-Caxito, Marilia
AU - Estrada, Erika M.
AU - Araya, Aníbal
AU - Vera, Leonardo
AU - Smith, Woutrina
AU - Kim, Minji
AU - Moreno-Switt, Andrea I.
AU - Olivares-Pacheco, Jorge
AU - Adell, Aiko D.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2022 Díaz-Gavidia, Barría, Weller, Salgado-Caxito, Estrada, Araya, Vera, Smith, Kim, Moreno-Switt, Olivares-Pacheco and Adell.
PY - 2022/6/30
Y1 - 2022/6/30
N2 - Freshwater bodies receive waste, feces, and fecal microorganisms from agricultural, urban, and natural activities. In this study, the probable sources of fecal contamination were determined. Also, antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) were detected in the two main rivers of central Chile. Surface water samples were collected from 12 sampling sites in the Maipo (n = 8) and Maule Rivers (n = 4) every 3 months, from August 2017 until April 2019. To determine the fecal contamination level, fecal coliforms were quantified using the most probable number (MPN) method and the source of fecal contamination was determined by Microbial Source Tracking (MST) using the Cryptosporidium and Giardia genotyping method. Separately, to determine if antimicrobial resistance bacteria (AMB) were present in the rivers, Escherichia coli and environmental bacteria were isolated, and the antibiotic susceptibility profile was determined. Fecal coliform levels in the Maule and Maipo Rivers ranged between 1 and 130 MPN/100-ml, and 2 and 30,000 MPN/100-ml, respectively. Based on the MST results using Cryptosporidium and Giardia host-specific species, human, cattle, birds, and/or dogs hosts were the probable sources of fecal contamination in both rivers, with human and cattle host-specific species being more frequently detected. Conditional tree analysis indicated that coliform levels were significantly associated with the river system (Maipo versus Maule), land use, and season. Fecal coliform levels were significantly (p < 0.006) higher at urban and agricultural sites than at sites immediately downstream of treatment centers, livestock areas, or natural areas. Three out of eight (37.5%) E. coli isolates presented a multidrug-resistance (MDR) phenotype. Similarly, 6.6% (117/1768) and 5.1% (44/863) of environmental isolates, in Maipo and Maule River showed and MDR phenotype. Efforts to reduce fecal discharge into these rivers should thus focus on agriculture and urban land uses as these areas were contributing the most and more frequently to fecal contamination into the rivers, while human and cattle fecal discharges were identified as the most likely source of this fecal contamination by the MST approach. This information can be used to design better mitigation strategies, thereby reducing the burden of waterborne diseases and AMR in Central Chile.
AB - Freshwater bodies receive waste, feces, and fecal microorganisms from agricultural, urban, and natural activities. In this study, the probable sources of fecal contamination were determined. Also, antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) were detected in the two main rivers of central Chile. Surface water samples were collected from 12 sampling sites in the Maipo (n = 8) and Maule Rivers (n = 4) every 3 months, from August 2017 until April 2019. To determine the fecal contamination level, fecal coliforms were quantified using the most probable number (MPN) method and the source of fecal contamination was determined by Microbial Source Tracking (MST) using the Cryptosporidium and Giardia genotyping method. Separately, to determine if antimicrobial resistance bacteria (AMB) were present in the rivers, Escherichia coli and environmental bacteria were isolated, and the antibiotic susceptibility profile was determined. Fecal coliform levels in the Maule and Maipo Rivers ranged between 1 and 130 MPN/100-ml, and 2 and 30,000 MPN/100-ml, respectively. Based on the MST results using Cryptosporidium and Giardia host-specific species, human, cattle, birds, and/or dogs hosts were the probable sources of fecal contamination in both rivers, with human and cattle host-specific species being more frequently detected. Conditional tree analysis indicated that coliform levels were significantly associated with the river system (Maipo versus Maule), land use, and season. Fecal coliform levels were significantly (p < 0.006) higher at urban and agricultural sites than at sites immediately downstream of treatment centers, livestock areas, or natural areas. Three out of eight (37.5%) E. coli isolates presented a multidrug-resistance (MDR) phenotype. Similarly, 6.6% (117/1768) and 5.1% (44/863) of environmental isolates, in Maipo and Maule River showed and MDR phenotype. Efforts to reduce fecal discharge into these rivers should thus focus on agriculture and urban land uses as these areas were contributing the most and more frequently to fecal contamination into the rivers, while human and cattle fecal discharges were identified as the most likely source of this fecal contamination by the MST approach. This information can be used to design better mitigation strategies, thereby reducing the burden of waterborne diseases and AMR in Central Chile.
KW - antimicrobial resistance
KW - Cryptosporidium
KW - fecal coliforms
KW - Giardia
KW - microbial source tracking
KW - water quality
KW - waterborne pathogens
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85134173755&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fmicb.2022.768527
DO - 10.3389/fmicb.2022.768527
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85134173755
SN - 1664-302X
VL - 13
JO - Frontiers in Microbiology
JF - Frontiers in Microbiology
M1 - 768527
ER -