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Dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria associated with microplastics collected from Monastir and Mahdia coasts (Tunisia)
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Microplastic particles collected from Tunisian beaches harbored 66 bacterial strains, the majority of which belong to Gamma-proteobacteria including known pathogens like Acinetobacter and Vibrio. Antibiotic resistance was widespread, with 97% of isolates resistant to penicillin and some strains showing resistance to 14 of 21 antibiotics tested. This confirms that coastal microplastics serve as hotspots for antibiotic-resistant bacteria — a significant public health concern as these particles and their microbial passengers can reach beaches, seafood, and swimmers.
The exponential use of plastics and their recalcitrant nature leads to their significant accumulation in the environment. The occurrence of plastic wastes is considered as a serious environmental problem. Additionally, plastic wastes can break down into smaller pieces called microplastics (MPs), leading to further interactions with the environment and living organisms. In this study, sixty-six strains were isolated from microplastic particles collected on different coastal areas of Monastir and Mahdia (Tunisia). The different bacterial isolates were identified according to some biochemical tests such as catalase, oxidase, and were subjected to molecular characterization. Amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) revealed the presence of 31 ITS haplotypes. The partial sequencing of the 16S ribosomal DNA of representative strains was analyzed. The majority of bacterial isolates (84.31 %) belonged to Gamma-proteobacteria (84.78 %), while the remaining isolates were affiliated to Firmicutes (15.21 %). The microplastic-associated bacterial isolates belonged to 10 genera, namely Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Shewanella, Aeromonas, Vibrio, Stutzerimonas, Exiguobacterium, Enterobacter. Among the well-represented Acinetobacter genus, the most common species identified was Acinetobacter johnsonii. Susceptibility patterns of these strains were studied against 21 antibiotics commonly used in Tunisia. A high level of antibiotic resistance was observed for Penicillin G (97.82 %) and Temocillin (86.95 %). S26 strain presented the highest multidrug resistance with a multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index of 0.71.
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