ABSTRACT Antimicrobial resistance is a growing concern, especially in regions with intense agricultural production. This study investigates the presence of antimicrobial‐resistant bacteria in Caramuru, Espírito Santo state, a rural district focused on large‐scale agricultural production in Brazil. Samples of water, soil, animal faeces and environmental surfaces were analysed using culture‐based methods, revealing the presence of multidrug‐resistant strains in agricultural and livestock environments, where antimicrobial use is common. Several bacterial species were detected, with a predominance of Escherichia coli , Enterobacter spp. and Acinetobacter spp., with 58.5% of the samples being resistant to at least one antimicrobial tested. The highest resistance rates among Gram‐negative bacilli were ampicillin (80%), followed by cefuroxime (70%) and ceftriaxone (55%). In addition, resistance to polymyxin B was found in 14% of the GNB isolates, including Enterobacter asburiae , Enterobacter cloacae , E. coli , Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The production of extended‐spectrum β‐lactamases was detected in six multidrug‐resistant E. coli samples isolated from river water, dog faeces and pigsty floors, while the production of metallo‐β‐lactamases was observed in E. asburiae from water samples from the river and toilet, as well as E. cloacae from coffee grounds. The bla TEM‐ like gene was identified in multidrug‐resistant E. coli strains isolated from all the Caramuru River water and the pigsty floor samples, while bla CTX‐M‐1/2 ‐like was found in an Enterobacter bugandensis and E. asburiae strains isolated from flies in the toilet, respectively. These findings indicate the presence of extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase genes in different environmental and animal‐associated sources within the study area. The overlap of these detections with agricultural and surface water sites underscores the importance of monitoring antimicrobial resistance in diverse environmental compartments.
Mothé et al. (Wed,) studied this question.