AMB Volume 41, Issue 4, 2025 Pages 512-519 https://doi.org/10.59393/amb25410410
A Study on Antibiotic Resistance of River Biofilms
Tsvetanova Z., Boshnakov R.
River biofilms were studied using culture-dependent and molecular methods to determine the phenotypic antibiotic resistance (ABR) of attached bacteria and the presence of resistance-encoding genes. A comparative assessment of the prevalence of ABR in river waters and water-associated biofilms was made. Benthic biofilms included Enterobacteriaceae and enterococci with lower levels of ABR compared to aquatic bacteria, and no multiple antibiotic resistance was detected. However, the identification of genetic determinants described in clinical isolates (such as blaAmpC, blaSHV, blaVIM) in benthic biofilms indicated the prevalence of ABR in the aquatic environment and the resulting risk to human health and water resources. The data obtained indicate a need to deepen the knowledge of biofilm communities in running water and their contribution to the acquisition and spread of ABR.
Keywords: antibiotic resistance, biofilm, E. coli, Enterobacteriaceae, enterococci, river water
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