Skip to main content
PMC home page
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1981 Aug;42(2):277–283. doi: 10.1128/aem.42.2.277-283.1981

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria in drinking water.

J L Armstrong, D S Shigeno, J J Calomiris, R J Seidler
PMCID: PMC244002  PMID: 7283426

Abstract

We analyzed drinking water from seven communities for multiply antibiotic-resistant (MAR) bacteria (bacteria resistant to two or more antibiotics) and screened the MAR bacterial isolates obtained against five antibiotics by replica plating. Overall, 33.9% of 2,653 standard plate count bacteria from treated drinking waters were MAR. Two different raw water supplies for two communities carried MAR standard plate count bacteria at frequencies of 20.4 and 18.6%, whereas 36.7 and 67.8% of the standard plate count populations from sites within the respective distribution systems were MAR. Isolate identification revealed that MAR gram-positive cocci (Staphylococcus) and MAR gram-negative, nonfermentative rods (Pseudomonas, Alcaligenes, Moraxella-like group M, and Acinetobacter) were more common in drinking waters than in untreated source waters. Site-to-site variations in generic types and differences in the incidences of MAR organisms indicated that shedding of MAR bacteria living in pipelines may have contributed to the MAR populations in tap water. We conclude that the treatment of raw water and its subsequent distribution select for standard plate count bacteria exhibiting the MAR phenotype.

Full text

PDF
277

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aber R. C., Wennersten C., Moellering R. C., Jr Antimicrobial susceptibility of flavobacteria. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1978 Sep;14(3):483–487. doi: 10.1128/aac.14.3.483. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Allen D. A., Austin B., Colwell R. R. Antibiotic resistance patterns of metal-tolerant bacteria isolated from an estuary. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1977 Oct;12(4):545–547. doi: 10.1128/aac.12.4.545. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bell J. B., Macrae W. R., Elliott G. E. Incidence of R factors in coliform, fecal coliform, and Salmonella populations of the Red River in Canada. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1980 Sep;40(3):486–491. doi: 10.1128/aem.40.3.486-491.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cooke M. D. Antibiotic resistance among coliform and fecal coliform bacteria isolated from sewage, seawater, and marine shellfish. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1976 Jun;9(6):879–884. doi: 10.1128/aac.9.6.879. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Duncan I. B. Epidemiology and chemotherapy of opportunistic infections due to Pseudomonas and Klebsiella. Int J Clin Pharmacol Biopharm. 1975 Jun;11(4):277–282. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Feary T. W., Sturtevant A. B., Jr, Lankford J. Antibiotic-resistant coliforms in fresh and salt water. Arch Environ Health. 1972 Sep;25(3):215–220. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1972.10666163. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fierer J., Taylor P. M., Gezon H. M. Pseudomonas aeruginosa epidemic traced to delivery-room resuscitators. N Engl J Med. 1967 May 4;276(18):991–996. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196705042761801. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. HERMAN L. G., HIMMELSBACH C. K. DETECTION AND CONTROL OF HOSPITAL SOURCES OF FLAVOBACTERIA. Hospitals. 1965 Jun 16;39:72–76. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hinshaw V., Punch J., Allison M. J., Dalton H. P. Frequency of R factor-mediated multiple drug resistance in Klebsiella and Aerobacter. Appl Microbiol. 1969 Feb;17(2):214–218. doi: 10.1128/am.17.2.214-218.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kelch W. J., Lee J. S. Antibiotic resistance patterns of gram-negative bacteria isolated from environmental sources. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1978 Sep;36(3):450–456. doi: 10.1128/aem.36.3.450-456.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lamka K. G., LeChevallier M. W., Seidler R. J. Bacterial contamination of drinking water supplies in a modern rural neighborhood. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1980 Apr;39(4):734–738. doi: 10.1128/aem.39.4.734-738.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. LeChevallier M. W., Seidler R. J., Evans T. M. Enumeration and characterization of standard plate count bacteria in chlorinated and raw water supplies. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1980 Nov;40(5):922–930. doi: 10.1128/aem.40.5.922-930.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. LeChevallier M. W., Seidler R. J. Staphylococcus aureus in rural drinking water. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1980 Apr;39(4):739–742. doi: 10.1128/aem.39.4.739-742.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Seidler R. J., Morrow J. E., Bagley S. T. Klebsielleae in drinking water emanating from redwood tanks. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1977 Apr;33(4):893–900. doi: 10.1128/aem.33.4.893-900.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Shaw D. R., Cabelli V. J. R-plasmid transfer frequencies from environmental isolates of Escherichia coli to laboratory and fecal strains. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1980 Oct;40(4):756–764. doi: 10.1128/aem.40.4.756-764.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Sizemore R. K., Colwell R. R. Plasmids carried by antibiotic-resistant marine bacteria. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1977 Sep;12(3):373–382. doi: 10.1128/aac.12.3.373. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Stamm W. E., Colella J. J., Anderson R. L., Dixon R. E. Indwelling arterial catheters as a source of nosocomial bacteremia. An outbreak caused by Flavobacterium Species. N Engl J Med. 1975 May 22;292(21):1099–1102. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197505222922105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Talbot H. W., Jr, Yamamoto D. K., Smith M. W., Seidler R. J. Antibiotic resistance and its transfer among clinical and nonclinical Klebsiella strains in botanical environments. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1980 Jan;39(1):97–104. doi: 10.1128/aem.39.1.97-104.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Zarzour J. Y., Belle E. A. Evaluation of three test procedures for identification of Staphylococcus aureus from clinical sources. J Clin Microbiol. 1978 Feb;7(2):133–136. doi: 10.1128/jcm.7.2.133-136.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. van Rensburg L. J., de Kock M. J., van Rensburg A. J. Antibiotic resistnace and R factors in Klebsiella pneumoniae. S Afr Med J. 1975 Oct 25;49(45):1876–1878. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. von Graevenitz A. The role of opportunistic bacteria in human disease. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1977;31:447–471. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.31.100177.002311. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES