Isolation of an antimicrobial resistant, biofilm forming, Klebsiella grimontii isolate from a re-usable water bottle.

A re-usable water bottle was swabbed as part of the citizen science project Swab and Send and a Klebsiella grimontii isolate was recovered on chromogenic agar and designated SS141. Whole genome sequencing of SS141 showed it has the potential to be a human pathogen as it contains the biosynthetic gene cluster for the potent cytotoxin, kleboxymycin, and genes for other virulence factors. The genome also contains the antibiotic resistance genes blaOXY-6-4 and a variant of fosA which is likely to explain the observed resistance to ampicillin, amoxicillin and fosfomycin. We have also shown that SS141 forms biofilms on both polystyrene and polypropylene surfaces, providing a reasonable explanation for its ability to colonise a re-usable water bottle. With the increasing use of re-usable water bottles as an alternative to disposables, and a strong forecast for growth in this industry over the next decade, this study highlights the need for cleanliness comparable to other re-usable culinary items.