Parachuting in antimicrobial resistance: airborne dispersal of antimicrobial resistance on the seeds of the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Abstract

Dandelion anthodium (n=100) containing parachutes/seeds were collected from environmental locations and the number of bacteria enumerated, the bacterial flora identified and the total antimicrobial resistance (intrinsic + acquired) characterised. Mean microbiological counts per dandelion head were 3.72 × 10 exp 6. Certain bacteria present at each location were totally resistant to several β-lactam antibiotics, including the penicillins and cephalosporins. Carbapenem resistance was also noted. The study identified antibiotic-resistant bacteria, particularly with the β-lactams and is significant as it highlights a new route of airborne AMR dispersal in the environment, which may spread/introduce such bacteria into new environments and to susceptible human and plant hosts.

Keywords:

• Antimicrobial resistance
• antibiotic resistance
• airborne seed dispersal
• dandelion
• Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Mr Alan Murphy, Northern Ireland Public Health Laboratory, Belfast City Hospital, for laboratory assistance and support regarding media provision and Mr John McCaughan, Department of Medical Microbiology, The Royal Group of Hospitals, Belfast, for the identification of bacteria using MALDI-TOF technology. The authors further thank Ms Ellen Jayne Millar for provision of Figure 1(a).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.