Scientists find antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the water of the Rímac River used for crops

And study recent has revealed the presence of strains of ‘Escherichia coli’ resistant to several antibiotics in the water of the Rímac River, used for irrigation in agricultural areas of Eastern Lima. This finding raises concern due to potential risks to public health and food safety.

María J. Pons, doctor in biology and researcher at the Scientific University of the South, part of the study team, said: “Although at low concentrations, E. coli can cause treatable diseases, some diarrheagenic strains found in river water have the potential to cause serious health problems, such as diarrhea and even bacteremia, a blood infection.”.

Antibiotic resistance is one of the most critical public health problems worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The presence of resistant bacteria in irrigation water is especially alarming, as it can make it difficult to treat infections. Bacterial resistance causes 700,000 deaths annually and it is projected that by 2050 this number will reach 10 million.

The study and implications

The researchers took water samples in 24 points of the districts of Lurigancho, -Chaclacayo, Pachacamac, The Molina y Lurinwhere river water is used to irrigate vegetable crops. Microbiological analyzes showed that the 79.2% of the samples contained E. coliexceeding the limits allowed by Environmental Quality Standards for crop irrigation.

One of the most worrying results was that the 72.3% of the strains of ‘E. coli’ were resistant to at least one antibioticwhile the 24.5% had multidrug resistance (MDR), which means they are immune to three or more antibiotics. Among the antibiotics with the highest levels of resistance, ampicillin-sulbactam (57.1%) and nalidixic acid (50%) stand out.

In addition, enzymes such as extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) were identified, which give bacteria the ability to resist advanced antibiotics. Quinolone resistance genes were also detected, such as qnrB (20.4%) and qnrS (2.04%).

“If it is extremely resistant bacteria that cause your infection, with only one or two treatment options, your condition becomes seriously complicated. This is a situation that is unfortunately found in the vast majority of hospitals in Peru and the world, where we have fewer and fewer therapeutic options for more infections.”comments the researcher.

The study reveals that the resistant bacteria present in the water of the Rímac River could be spread through food washed down with this water, representing a serious risk to the health of consumers. Dr. Pons stressed the importance of taking urgent measures to ensure that irrigation water is not a source of the spread of resistant bacteria, protecting both public health and food security in Peru.