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Volume 7
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10.3390/soilsystems7020045
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Article

Exploring the Diversity and Antibiogram of the Soil around a Tertiary Care Hospital and a University Precinct in Southern India: A Pilot Study

by
Shalini Kunhikannan
1,2,
Cassandra R. Stanton
1,
Jayson Rose
1,
Colleen J. Thomas
1,3,4,
Ashley E. Franks
1,5,
Sumana M. Neelambike
2,
Sumana Kumar
6,
Steve Petrovski
1 and
Anya E. Shindler
1,*
1
Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
2
Department of Microbiology, JSS Hospital, Mysuru 570004, Karnataka, India
3
Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Disease Research, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
4
Pre-Clinical Critical Care Unit, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
5
Centre for Future Landscapes, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
6
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Soil Syst. 2023, 7(2), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems7020045
Submission received: 16 February 2023 / Revised: 7 April 2023 / Accepted: 21 April 2023 / Published: 27 April 2023
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Abstract

Soil contains an enormous diversity of microorganisms and can act as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance determinants. This study identified and compared the bacterial diversity and the antimicrobial resistance profile of clinically-relevant isolates around a newly developed hospital and university precinct. Eight soil samples were collected, genomic DNA was extracted and 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed. Bacterial isolates cultured from the soil were identified using MALDI-TOF. Antibiotic sensitivity testing (AST) was performed on a subset of isolates. The soil from both precincts were similarly diverse. Phylum Proteobacteria was prevalent in all samples and was the most abundant in one of the hospital sites. Cyanobacteria was abundant in two hospital sites closer to a sewage treatment plant. Bacterial diversity was only significantly different between two of the hospital sites. A total of 22 Gram-negative organisms were isolated by culture. AST revealed that the soil isolates from both precincts exhibited low resistance. The unidentified bacteria closer to the hospital precinct with human interactions possibly hints at the role of anthropogenic activities on the soil microbial diversity. The abundance of Proteobacteria (causing majority of human infections) and Cyanobacteria nearer to the hospital premises, comprising more immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals, is concerning.
Keywords: Acinetobacter; antibiotic resistance; hospital; microbial diversity; Pseudomonas; soil Acinetobacter; antibiotic resistance; hospital; microbial diversity; Pseudomonas; soil

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MDPI and ACS Style

Kunhikannan, S.; Stanton, C.R.; Rose, J.; Thomas, C.J.; Franks, A.E.; Neelambike, S.M.; Kumar, S.; Petrovski, S.; Shindler, A.E. Exploring the Diversity and Antibiogram of the Soil around a Tertiary Care Hospital and a University Precinct in Southern India: A Pilot Study. Soil Syst. 2023, 7, 45. https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems7020045

AMA Style

Kunhikannan S, Stanton CR, Rose J, Thomas CJ, Franks AE, Neelambike SM, Kumar S, Petrovski S, Shindler AE. Exploring the Diversity and Antibiogram of the Soil around a Tertiary Care Hospital and a University Precinct in Southern India: A Pilot Study. Soil Systems. 2023; 7(2):45. https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems7020045

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kunhikannan, Shalini, Cassandra R. Stanton, Jayson Rose, Colleen J. Thomas, Ashley E. Franks, Sumana M. Neelambike, Sumana Kumar, Steve Petrovski, and Anya E. Shindler. 2023. "Exploring the Diversity and Antibiogram of the Soil around a Tertiary Care Hospital and a University Precinct in Southern India: A Pilot Study" Soil Systems 7, no. 2: 45. https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems7020045

APA Style

Kunhikannan, S., Stanton, C. R., Rose, J., Thomas, C. J., Franks, A. E., Neelambike, S. M., Kumar, S., Petrovski, S., & Shindler, A. E. (2023). Exploring the Diversity and Antibiogram of the Soil around a Tertiary Care Hospital and a University Precinct in Southern India: A Pilot Study. Soil Systems, 7(2), 45. https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems7020045

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