Publication in "Frontiers in Microbiology "

Hospital Effluents Are One of Several Sources of Metal, Antibiotic Resistance Genes, and Bacterial Markers Disseminated in Sub-Saharan Urban Rivers

Laffite A, Kilunga PI, Kayembe JM, Devarajan N, Mulaji CK, Giuliani G, Slaveykova VI and Poté J, Hospital Effluents Are One of Several Sources of Metal, Antibiotic Resistance Genes, and Bacterial Markers Disseminated in Sub-Saharan Urban Rivers. Frontiers in Microbiology, July 2016.

Antibiotic resistance remains a worldwide problem which may pose serious potential risks to human and animal health. Data concerning these emerging biological contaminants in aquatic environments of Sub-Saharan African countries is very limited. The results demonstrated that river under tropical conditions reaching peak temperatures of 30°C could potentially favor the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes to susceptible bacterial pathogens. The results from this research can facilitate improved risk assessments for the prudent use of antibiotics in human, animal and agriculture, and provide baseline information for developing strategies to limit the spread of these contaminants under tropical conditions.

News 2016