Plasmid prevalence is independent of antibiotic resistance in environmental Enterobacteriaceae

This project investigates the prevalence and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) potential of antibiotic resistance genes in enteric pathogens isolated from urban wastewater in New York City. Over a five-month sampling period, we identified and sequenced 100 bacterial strains, focusing on lactose- and sucrose-fermenting species such as Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter fecundii, and Escherichia coli. The study highlights the widespread presence of resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics and demonstrates that resistant strains can transfer genes to naive recipients in synthetic environments, underscoring the risk of environmental dissemination of resistance. This research emphasizes the need for effective wastewater treatment strategies to mitigate the spread of antibiotic resistance.