Screening for Antibiotic Resistance of the Bacterial Flora Living in Messina Harbour Waters

Harbors are enclosed coastal sites particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic-derived pressure with an important role for human society but with impacts on marine environments. While the chemical pollutants present in the ports are still known, little is known about the presence of bacterial pathogens, as descriptor of water quality and it is not clear whether these areas, that are subjected to anthropogenic pressure, can be considered as potential reservoirs for antibiotic resistant bacteria. In this context our research was focused on Messina harbor. The harbor is one of the main tourist settlements in the Mediterranean Sea and a big commercial traffic also. The aim of this study was to assess the distribution of potentially pathogenic bacteria and their profiles of antibiotic susceptibility within the Messina harbor, and to analyze the results also in relation with the main hydrological characteristics of the area. Results showed that the bacterial isolates a part of the bacterial population present in marine aquatic environments is resistant or multi-resistant to various antibiotics. This result could be linked to the fact that the Messina harbor is a commercial site and is located in a highly urbanized area. In this study case, as far as faecal pollution is concerned, the values obtained for the faecal indicators show that the examined area is not affected by an anthropic impact; also there are no particular risks related to the presence of potentially pathogenic bacteria such halophilic vibrios.