Heavy metal co-resistance with antibiotics amongst bacteria isolates from an open dumpsite soil

Abstract

Heavy metal co-resistance with antibiotics appears to be synergistic in bacterial isolates via similar mechanisms. This synergy has the potential to amplify antibiotics resistance genes in the environment which can be transferred into clinical settings. The aim of this study was to assess the co-resistance of heavy metals with antibiotics in bacteria from dumpsite in addition to physicochemical analysis. Sample collection, physicochemical analysis, and enumeration of total heterotrophic bacteria counts (THBC) were all carried out using standard existing protocols. Identified bacteria isolates were subjected to antibiotics sensitivity test using the Kirby Bauer disc diffusion technique and the resulting multidrug resistant (MDR) isolates were subjected to heavy metal tolerance test using agar dilution technique with increasing concentrations (50, 100, 150, 200 and to 250 μg/ml) of our study heavy metals. THBC ranged from 6.68 to 7.92 × 105 cfu/g. Out of the 20 isolates subjected to antibiotics sensitivity, 50% (n = 10) showed multiple drug resistance and these were B. subtilis, B. cereus, C. freundii, P. aeruginosa, Enterobacter sp, and E. coli (n = 5). At the lowest concentration (50 μg/ml), all the MDR isolates tolerated all the heavy metals, but at 250 μg/ml, apart from cadmium and lead, all test isolates were 100% sensitive to chromium, vanadium and cobalt. The control isolate was only resistant to cobalt and chromium at 50 μg/ml, but sensitive to other heavy metals at all concentrations The level of co-resistance shown by these isolates is a call for concern.

Keywords

• Heavy metals
• Dumpsite
• Soil
• Co-resistance
• Antibiotics
• Multi-drug resistance