Beta-lactam susceptibility profiles of bacteria isolated from the Ozama river in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Abstract

The spread and contamination of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in ambient waters is an emerging concern in urban, rural, medical, and industrial settings. A large amount of domestic, hospital, and industrial wastewater discharged directly into the rivers through the different channels can turn them into extensive reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In the present study, surface water samples from three collection sites were analyzed, according to different levels of anthropogenic impacts, along the Ozama river, one of the most important rivers in the Dominican metropolitan area, a source of water and food for human consumption.