Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are a group of enzymes shown to rapidly evolve and confer resistance to antibiotics such as penicillin and beta lactams. Organisms that produce ESBLs pose as threats and challenges due to their multi-drug resistance. ESBLs exhibit antibiotic resistance by destructing the structure of antibiotics and are typically found encoded on bacterial plasmids that can easily be transferred between bacteria from the family Enterobacteriaceae via horizontal and vertical transmission. Water environments such as streams can aid the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can originate from a variety of sources, such as wastewater treatment plants, agricultural sources and residential septic tank systems. An ongoing study is currently looking into the isolation and identification of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae from three streams: one impacted by a heavily industrialized area, one with some urban impact and one with very little urban impact. Water samples were obtained from each water source and ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae were isolated. DNA from these isolates were extracted and tested for confirmation of the genes encoding ESBLs.
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