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Description
Ongoing research in the Triplett Creek Watershed (TCW) focuses on assessing water quality and monitoring bacterial contamination. The spring 2024 sampling efforts aimed to evaluate bacterial density and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across multiple sites. To screen for AMR in bacteria, the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method was used. A total of 35 bacterial isolates were tested against multiple antibiotics. This revealed 26 isolates were resistant to Erythromycin, 32 isolates were resistant to Clindamycin, 2 isolates were resistant to Colistin, 7 isolates were resistant to Ampicillin, 4 isolates were resistant to Amoxicillin with Clavulanic acid, 2 isolates were resistant to tetracycline, 3 isolates were resistant to streptomycin, and 1 isolate was resistant Azithromycin. The objective of this study was to detect AMR genes in bacteria collected from TCW using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Enrichment cultures derived from water samples were prepared, followed by DNA extraction. PCR amplification was performed with 11 specific primer sets, including uidA (a positive E. coli control) and esp (a marker for human fecal contamination). Gel electrophoresis analysis confirmed the presence of AMR genes. Sul1 and Sul2 were found in all 10 sites, TetO was found in 2 sites, TetW was found in 3 sites, esp was found in 2 sites, and uidA was found in 3 sites. The increase in AMR raises concerns about the persistence and spread of resistant bacterial strains in the watershed. This work was supported in part by Morehead State University’s Undergraduate Fellowship Research Program.
Publication Date
4-16-2025
Disciplines
Higher Education | Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Recommended Citation
Mays, Heavenly; Morgan, Emily; and Gearner, Geoffrey W., "Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Bacteria Collected From the Triplett Creek Watershed" (2025). 2025 Celebration of Student Scholarship - Poster Presentations. 61.
https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/celebration_posters_2025/61