Antibiotic-resistant bacteria in freshwater crayfish

Author

Colby Finch, University of MississippiFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-8-2022

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Colin Jackson

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

The presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is increasing in natural aquatic environments. Alongside this, organisms that live in these ecosystems are increasingly harboring antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In this study, I analyzed the capacity for the crayfish species Procambarus vioscai paynei to harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Crayfish, as well as water and sediment, were sampled from a pond at the University of Mississippi Field Station. The guts of crayfish were plated on TSA agar, as well as agar containing vancomycin, erythromycin, penicillin, tetracycline, or ciprofloxacin. Following incubation, counts of bacteria were determined. Selected bacterial isolates were tested for multiple antibiotic-resistance. Bacterial isolates were also treated with a Gram stain and the shape of bacterial cells were determined using a light microscope. Results of the study indicate that the pond water, sediment, and the crayfish samples all harbored antibiotic-resistant bacteria. All crayfish samples yielded bacterial growth on at least two of the five antibiotics used. Some of the bacterial isolates examined also displayed resistance to multiple antibiotics. The presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in aquatic environments and organisms outside of urban areas shows that they can become a more common and dangerous threat to people and organisms of all areas.

Recommended Citation

Finch, Colby, "Antibiotic-resistant bacteria in freshwater crayfish" (2022). Honors Theses. 2556.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/2556

Accessibility Status

Searchable text

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.