Characterization and identification of bacterial pathogens from treated tannery wastewater

Abstract

The aim of this study was to isolate, characterize and identify the bacterial pathogens from treated tannery wastewater and also to study their multi-drug and multi-metal resistance property. Three bacterial strains of pathogen species with more antagonistic activity were identified as Pantoea sp., E. coli sp., and Lysinibacillus spp., with accession nos. KJ576899, KJ576900 and KJ576904, respectively for public domain. The antibiotic and heavy metal resistant property of isolated bacterial strains was investigated by disk diffusion method on Muller-Hinton agar and nutrient agar medium amended with increasing concentrations of various toxic metal ions. The isolated bacterial strains Pantoea sp. was sensitive to amikacin, ampicillin, cefepime, chloramphenicol, levofloxacin, meropenem, nalidixic acid, piperacillin and resistant to for carbenicillin, aztreonam, cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin, cotrimoxazole, moxifloxacin, streptomycin, tetracycline. The other two bacterial strains of pathogen E. coli sp., and Lysinibacillus spp. showed different level of resistance and, sensitivity, to many antibiotic tested. In addition, the bacterial pathogens also showed the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of Cd, Cu, Cr, Co, Ni, Mn, Pb, Zn and Fe. These multi-drug and multi-metal resistant organisms can be used as a potential agent for the bioremediation of metal contaminated sites.

Keywords: Antibiotic, metal, bacterial pathogen, E. coli sp., Lysinibacillus sp., Pantoea sp.