Evaluates ESBL-producing Escherichia coli detection in coastal waters, suggesting improved surveillance methods.
Antimicrobial resistance in aquatic environments is an emerging public health concern, yet monitoring efforts remain limited by cost and scalability. This study evaluates an adapted IDEXX Colilert-18® assay for detecting extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-Ec) in coastal surface waters and proposes a business case highlighting the benefits of implementing this adapted assay. Water samples collected showed elevated fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) concentrations, highlighting potential health risks and the need for improved surveillance. The adapted IDEXX assay incorporates cefotaxime to selectively screen and enumerate presumptive ESBL-Ec and was performed in tandem with amended mTEC methods. While variability in ESBL-Ec counts was observed, similar trends were reflected in mTEC plate results, suggesting that fluctuations were driven by environmental conditions rather than methodological inconsistency. These findings support the adapted Colilert-18® approach as a cost-effective and scalable method for ESBL-Ec enumeration in wastewater-impacted coastal systems.
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Greyson Francisco (2026) studied this question.
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