AAAR 37th Annual Conference October 14 - October 18, 2019 Oregon Convention Center Portland, Oregon, USA
Abstract View
Development of Antimicrobial Resistance in Bioaerosols
Gabriela Ramos, Brinda Venkateshaiah, Ryan Gerlich, Anish Jantrania, MARIA KING, Texas A&M University
Abstract Number: 190 Working Group: Bioaerosols
Abstract The objective of this study is to focus on the microbial evolution as bacteria are aerosolized from contaminated bodies of water. In this case, the aerosols are released from different septic tanks located at a rural area in Texas. The septic tanks are connected by a filtration system; the first septic tank being the most contaminated and fourth septic tank being the most purified. Air and water were collected at each septic tank during two seasons, in the winter and summer. Samples from each tank were taken with open and closed lids to observe the effect it may have on the concentration of bioaerosols. The water inside each septic tank was also sampled to compare the concentration of microorganisms in the water to the concentration of microorganisms in the bioaerosol samples. The results of the culturable counts and quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) confirmed that the concentration of bacteria aerosolized is less than the concentration of bacteria in water, however there were still significant numbers of bioaerosols detected around the septic tanks. Microbiome analysis showed that the majority of the bioaerosols come from the water. The Kirby Bauer analysis concluded that the water samples had higher numbers of antimicrobial resistant bacteria compared to the bioaerosols. The highest percentage of antimicrobial resistance in the bioaerosol samples was 50%. Although low in comparison to the higher 87.5% resistance of the water samples, the antimicrobial resistance in bioaerosols caused by the aerosolization of pathogens can potentially be hazardous to human health if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin.
In conclusion, lower numbers of aerosolized bacteria were collected during the winter sampling compared to the bacteria concentration in water. Bioaerosols are exposed to different stresses including colder temperatures, desiccation, and lack in nutrients that could lead to the development of antimicrobial resistance.