Coliforms and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in water from rivers and wells at Curitibanos, Santa Catarina

The quality of water used for human consumption related to the absence of coliforms, which, which may cause diseases and exhibit antimicrobial resistance, a frequent issue in places with poor or non-existent environmental sanitation. The present study evaluated the concentrations of total and thermotolerant coliforms in rivers and wells in Curitibanos (SC), as well as the phenotypic resistance to four antibiotics (Ampicillin, Ampicillin+Sulbactam, Ciprofloxacin and Tetracycline), during four seasons of the year. Analysis of variance was performed and means were separated by the Scott-Knott test, at 5% error probability. In rivers, the highest values ​​of fecal coliforms were recorded in summer and winter, and resistance to ampicillin and ampicillin+sulbactam was higher in autumn, while resistance to tetracycline was more prevalent in summer. In the wells, the highest averages of fecal coliforms occurred in summer, autumn and winter, and the highest levels of resistance were observed against ampicillin, in autumn. Overall, rivers had more compromised water quality, compared to wells, emphasizing the need to preserve aquatic resources in order to decrease evolution of resistance to antibiotics and diseases and deaths cause by superbacteria that may be ingested with contaminated water.