Multiple antibiotic-resistant (MAR) bacteria present in wastewater cause life-threatening diseases. Using water from unprotected sources where the possibility of entering MAR bacteria from wastewater is high poses a danger to public health. To determine the distribution of MAR bacteria in wastewater, we collected samples from six sites of Maijdee, a small town in the Noakhali district of Bangladesh. We found that 47.62% (30/63) of the isolates were resistant to at least six antibiotics. The predominant MAR bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus (20%), Escherichia coli (20%), Enterobacter spp. (20%), and Klebsiella spp. (16.67%). All MAR bacteria were resistant to ampicillin, oxacillin, and cefixime, and 97% (29) of isolates showed resistance to cefotaxime. Altogether, above 50% of the isolates were resistant to cefepime, ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, chloramphenicol, and streptomycin. MAR index values of all but one isolate found as >0.20 implied that they were from high-risk environments. The findings suggested the urgent need to treat hospital wastewater before draining out to the environment properly, and the other wastewater should be reserved in the secluded area.
Key words: Multiple antibiotic-resistant bacteria, wastewater, public health risk, hospital effluent treatment
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