Bacterial diversity and resistome analysis of drinking water stored in cisterns from two First Nations communities in Manitoba, Canada

• DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03141-23
• Publication Date: 2024-02-02T14:00:22Z
• Authors: Anita Murdock; Sabrin Bashar; Dawn White; Miguel Uyaguari-Diaz; Annemieke Farenhorst; Ayush Kumar
• Keywords: 0303 health sciences; 03 medical and health sciences; antibiotic resistance genes; water storage; water treatment; bacteria; Microbiology; QR1-502; Research Article

ABSTRACT

The microbiological content of water is an ongoing concern in First Nations communities in Canada. Many communities lack water treatment plants and continue to be under drinking water advisories. However, lack of access to treatment plants is only a part of the problem as poor water distribution systems also contribute to the failure to provide safe drinking water. Here, we studied the microbial diversity and antibiotic resistome from water stored in cisterns from two First Nations communities in Manitoba, Canada. We found that the cistern water contained a high number of bacteria and showed the presence of diverse antimicrobial resistance genes. Interestingly, the bacterial diversity and antimicrobial resistance genes varied considerably from that of the untreated source water, indicating that the origin of contamination in the cistern water came from within the treatment plant or along the delivery route to the homes. Our study highlights the importance of proper maintenance of the water distribution system in addition to access to water treatment facilities to ensure a supply of safe water to First Nations communities in Canada.

IMPORTANCE The work described addresses a critical issue in First Nations communities in Canada—the microbiological content of water. Many of these communities lack access to water treatment plants and frequently experience drinking water advisories. This study focused on the microbial diversity and antibiotic resistome in water stored in cisterns within two First Nations communities in Manitoba, Canada. These findings reveal that cistern water, a common source of drinking water in these communities, contains a high number of bacteria and a wide range of antimicrobial resistance genes. This highlights a serious health risk as exposure to such water can lead to the spread of drug-resistant infections, posing a threat to the well-being of the residents.