BIVALVE MOLLUSKS AS INDICATORS OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION IN THE AMAZON RIVER, BRAZIL

Bivalve mollusks play an essential role in the maintenance of two aquatic ecosystems and can act as bioindicators of environmental pollution due to their capacity to accumulate pollutants. In the state of Amapá, the exploration of these organisms is poorly studied, especially in relation to microbiological contamination and antimicrobial resistance. This study aims to analyze the occurrence of Escherichia coli and other enterobacteria in two species of water mollusks (Prisodon obliquus and Triplodon corrugatus) collected in the Amazon River, in Macapá (AP), as well as to evaluate their antimicrobial resistance profile. This is a transversal study carried out between October 2022 and March 2023. Foram colletadas 40 samples on three points along the banks of the Amazon River. Microbiological and molecular analyzes will include bacterial isolation, antimicrobial susceptibility tests using the disk diffusion method, and detection of resistance and virulence genes by PCR. Foram 62 bacterial isolates were identified, including 31 from E. coli, 18 from Klebsiella pneumoniae and others belonging to Enterobacter, Citrobacter and Serratia. The strains present high resistance to streptomycin (100%), nalidixic acid (93.5%) and ceftazidime (90.3%). The blaCMY gene, associated with cephalosporin resistance, was identified in E. coli samples. The presence of multiresistant bacteria in mollusks from the waters of the Amazon River represents a potential public health risk and evidence of the need for integrated environmental surveillance and antimicrobial resistance control actions based on a One Health approach.