A comparative study on antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli isolates from Austrian patients and wastewater-influenced Danube River water and biofilms

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant global health threat, often introduced into aquatic ecosystems through wastewater emissions from clinical facilities. This study compared AMR patterns of Escherichia coli isolates from urinary tract infections and colonised urinary catheters in Austria to those from the Danube River catchment. The results showed higher resistance ratios in patient isolates and biofilm compared to water isolates. The biofilm was found to be a potential sink for resistances, with two ESBL-producing isolates and higher amoxicillin/clavulanic acid resistance ratios. Although resistances to last-line antibiotics were found in both patient and environmental isolates, they occurred at low frequency.