Antibiotic resistance and tolerance to heavy metals demonstrated by environmental pathogenic bacteria isolated from the Kahwa River, Bukavu Town, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract

Increasing concentration of heavy metals and antibiotics within bacterial microenvironments contribute to medical problems. This research confirmed the presence of enteropathogenic bacteria in the sediment and water of Kahwa River. Vibrio cholerae, Shigella dysenteriae, Salmonella typhi and Salmonella paratyphi showed resistance to antibiotics and tolerance to heavy metals. The bacteria, particularly Vibrio, were extensively resistant to Ampicillin; less so to Chloramphenicol, Co-trimoxazole and Tetracycline with a relatively reduced resistance shown to Ciprofloxacin. Higher levels of antibiotic resistance were noticed in bacteria isolated from river sediment when compared to bacteria isolated from river water (p < 0.05). Tolerance to cadmium and lead was also more obvious in bacteria isolated from river sediment. An increasing association was observed between multiple antibiotic resistance and tolerance to heavy metals. Bacterial growth in the presence of cadmium was restricted when compared to lead.

Keywords:

• Enteropathogenic bacteria
• Kahwa River
• resistance
• tolerance