Resistência a antibióticos em água de consumo na bacia do Rio Infulene

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance is a public health issue that occurs naturally, but the misuse of antibiotics is accelerating the process, leading to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs, and increased mortality. Although antibiotic resistance is a global concern, there is limited information on the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in drinking water in developing countries. This study aims to assess the occurrence of antibioticresistant E. coli in drinking water in the Infulene River Basin region. Samples were collected from twenty-nine (29) selected points for the study, namely three (3) from well water, eight (8) from public network water, and eighteen (18) from private suppliers or boreholes. Analyses were conducted on samples collected during the dry season, August 2024, and the results were compared with the parameters established in Ministerial Diploma No. 180/2004, which sets the limit values for drinking water quality parameters, and with results obtained from a similar study conducted in 2022. Electrical conductivity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen were within the standards established by legislation. However, turbidity, pH, and total dissolved solids (TDS) showed values outside the standards at some points. Of the samples analyzed from 29 points, approximately 10.45% for pH (6.37 – 8.94), 3.45% for TDS (246.67 – 1160), and 3.45% for turbidity (0.36 – 45.63) were outside the acceptable limits. Microbiological analyses indicated positive results for total coliforms in 25 points (86.2%), of which 8 (32%) tested positive for fecal coliforms and *E. coli*. No resistant E. coli was detected in the drinking water samples collected during the dry season and analyzed using the ESBL method. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that there is no occurrence of antibiotic-resistant E. coli in drinking water in the Infulene River Basin region.