Journal of Bacteriology & Parasitology

Abstract

Antibiotic Sensitivity Profile of Enteric Bacteria Isolated from Beach Waters and Sewage from the Municipality of Vila Velha-ES, Brazil

Elton Carvalho Costa, Clarisse Maximo Arpini and João D Lopes Martins

Since 1928 when antibiotics were discovered they have promoted the control of infectious diseases of bacterial origin. However, the chemical characteristics of these medications may represent a potential risk to public health and the environment because their residues have some components which are resistant and difficult to decompose and, once administered to the general population or in large pharmacotherapeutic centers such as hospitals, may cause the contamination of soil, water sources and wastewater becomes imminent and worrysome. This research quantified the thermotolerant fecal coliforms E. coli and Enterococcus and also determined the antibiotic sensitivity profile of E. coli and Enterococcus spp. isolated from sewer waters and beach waters in the city of Vila Velha, Espírito Santo. The quantified microorganism indicators from beach waters demonstrated scores within the standards for balneability. The sewer water collection points allowed the isolation of enteric bacteria with scores between <3à >2, 4 × 105. All the isolated E. coli showed (100%) sensitivity to aztreonam, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, ceftriaxone, gentamicin, imipenem and nitrofurantoin, while for amoxicillin, sulphazotrim and tetracycline the sensitivity profile was varied, showing lower percentages for samples from sewer waters. The isolated Enterococcus spp. showed (100%) sensitivity only to the antibiotics bacitracin, chloramphenicol and vancomycin. This lower sensitivity profile of isolated bacteria to some antibiotics may be related to the presence of these drugs in the environment.