scholarly journals Mobile resistome of human gut and pathogen drives anthropogenic bloom of antibiotic resistance

Microbiome ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kihyun Lee ◽  
Dae-Wi Kim ◽  
Do-Hoon Lee ◽  
Yong-Seok Kim ◽  
Ji-Hye Bu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Anthropogenic Influences ◽  
Human Gut ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Spatial Continuum

Abstract Background The impact of human activities on the environmental resistome has been documented in many studies, but there remains the controversial question of whether the increased antibiotic resistance observed in anthropogenically impacted environments is just a result of contamination by resistant fecal microbes or is mediated by indigenous environmental organisms. Here, to determine exactly how anthropogenic influences shape the environmental resistome, we resolved the microbiome, resistome, and mobilome of the planktonic microbial communities along a single river, the Han, which spans a gradient of human activities. Results The bloom of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) was evident in the downstream regions and distinct successional dynamics of the river resistome occurred across the spatial continuum. We identified a number of widespread ARG sequences shared between the river, human gut, and pathogenic bacteria. These human-related ARGs were largely associated with mobile genetic elements rather than particular gut taxa and mainly responsible for anthropogenically driven bloom of the downstream river resistome. Furthermore, both sequence- and phenotype-based analyses revealed environmental relatives of clinically important proteobacteria as major carriers of these ARGs. Conclusions Our results demonstrate a more nuanced view of the impact of anthropogenic activities on the river resistome: fecal contamination is present and allows the transmission of ARGs to the environmental resistome, but these mobile genes rather than resistant fecal bacteria proliferate in environmental relatives of their original hosts.

scholarly journals The Occurrence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in an Urban River in Nepal

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ocean Thakali ◽  
Sarmila Tandukar ◽  
John Brooks ◽  
Samendra Sherchan ◽  
Jeevan Sherchand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Resistance Genes ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Urban River ◽  
Class 1 Integron ◽  
Upstream Site ◽  
Class 1 ◽  
The Impact

Urban rivers affected by anthropogenic activities can act as reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). This study aimed to describe the occurrence of selected ARGs (blaTEM, ermF, mecA, and tetA) and a class 1 integron (intI1) in an urban river in Nepal. A total of 18 water samples were collected periodically from upstream, midstream, and downstream sites along the Bagmati River over a 1-year period. All ARGs except mecA and intI1 were consistently detected by a quantitative polymerase chain reaction in the midstream and downstream sites, with concentrations ranging from 3.1 to 7.8 log copies/mL. ARG abundance was significantly lower at the upstream site (p < 0.05), reflecting the impact of anthropogenic activities on increasing concentrations of ARGs at midstream and downstream sites. Our findings demonstrate the presence of clinically relevant ARGs in the urban river water of Nepal, suggesting a need for mitigating strategies to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance in the environment.

scholarly journals Antibiotic Resistance Gene Diversity and Virulence Gene Diversity Are Correlated in Human Gut and Environmental Microbiomes

mSphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Escudeiro ◽  
Joël Pothier ◽  
Francisco Dionisio ◽  
Teresa Nogueira
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Gene Diversity ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Virulence Determinants ◽  
Human Gut ◽  
The World

ABSTRACT Human beings have used large amounts of antibiotics, not only in medical contexts but also, for example, as growth factors in agriculture and livestock, resulting in the contamination of the environment. Even when pathogenic bacteria are the targets of antibiotics, hundreds of nonpathogenic bacterial species are affected as well. Therefore, both pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria have gradually become resistant to antibiotics. We tested whether there is still cooccurrence of resistance and virulence determinants. We performed a comparative study of environmental and human gut metagenomes from different individuals and from distinct human populations across the world. We found a great diversity of antibiotic resistance determinants (AR diversity [ARd]) and virulence factors (VF diversity [VFd]) in metagenomes. Importantly there is a correlation between ARd and VFd, even after correcting for protein family richness. In the human gut, there are less ARd and VFd than in more diversified environments, and yet correlations between the ARd and VFd are stronger. They can vary from very high in Malawi, where antibiotic consumption is unattended, to nonexistent in the uncontacted Amerindian population. We conclude that there is cooccurrence of resistance and virulence determinants in human gut microbiomes, suggesting a possible coselective mechanism. IMPORTANCE Every year, thousands of tons of antibiotics are used, not only in human and animal health but also as growth promoters in livestock. Consequently, during the last 75 years, antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains have been selected in human and environmental microbial communities. This implies that, even when pathogenic bacteria are the targets of antibiotics, hundreds of nonpathogenic bacterial species are also affected. Here, we performed a comparative study of environmental and human gut microbial communities issuing from different individuals and from distinct human populations across the world. We found that antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity are correlated and speculate that, by selecting for resistant bacteria, we may be selecting for more virulent strains as a side effect of antimicrobial therapy.

scholarly journals Antibiotic resistance genes in agriculture and urban influenced watersheds in southwestern British Columbia

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel I. Uyaguari-Díaz ◽  
Matthew A. Croxen ◽  
Zhiyao Luo ◽  
Kirby I. Cronin ◽  
Michael Chan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Resistance Genes ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Gene Copy ◽  
Urban Watersheds

AbstractBackgroundThe dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from anthropogenic activities into the environment poses an emerging public health threat. Water constitutes a major vehicle for transport of both biological material and chemical substances. The present study focused on putative antibiotic resistance and integrase genes present in the microbiome of agricultural, urban influenced and protected watersheds in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. A metagenomics approach and high throughput quantitative PCR (HT qPCR) were used to screen for elements of resistance including ARGs and integron-associated integrase genes (intI). Sequencing of bacterial genomic DNA was used to characterize the resistome of microbial communities present in watersheds over a one-year period.ResultsData mining using CARD and Integrall databases enabled the identification of putative antibiotic resistance genes present in watershed samples. Antibiotic resistance genes presence in samples from various watershed locations was low relative to the microbial population (<1 %). Analysis of the metagenomic sequences detected a total of 78 ARGs and intI1 across all watershed locations. The relative abundance and richness of antibiotic resistance genes was found to be highest in agriculture impacted watersheds compared to protected and urban watersheds. Gene copy numbers (GCNs) from a subset of 21 different elements of antibiotic resistance were further estimated using HT qPCR. Most GCNs of ARGs were found to be variable over time. A downstream transport pattern was observed in the impacted watersheds (urban and agricultural) during dry months. Urban and agriculture impacted sites had a higher GCNs of ARGs compared to protected sites. Similar to other reports, this study found a strong association between intI1 and ARGs (e.g., sul1), an association which may be used as a proxy for anthropogenic activities. Chemical analysis of water samples for three major groups of antibiotics was negative. However, the high richness and GCNs of ARGs in impacted sites suggest effects of effluents on microbial communities are occurring even at low concentrations of antimicrobials in the water column.ConclusionAntibiotic resistance and integrase genes in a year-long metagenomic study showed that ARGs were driven mainly by environmental factors from anthropogenized sites in agriculture and urban watersheds. Environmental factors accounted for almost 40% of the variability observed in watershed locations.

scholarly journals The meiofauna as neglected carriers of antibiotic resistant and pathogenic bacteria in freshwater ecosystems

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Belen Sathicq ◽  
Tomasa Sbaffi ◽  
Giulia Borgomaneiro ◽  
Andrea Di Cesare ◽  
Raffaella Sabatino
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
World Health ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Impact

The World Health Organization considers antibiotic resistance as one of the main threats to human and other animals' health. Despite the measures used to limit the spread of antibiotic resistance, the efforts made are not enough to tackle this problem. Thus, it has become important to understand how bacteria acquire and transmit antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs), in particular in the environment, given the close connection between the latter and human and animal health, as defined by the One-Health concept. Aquatic ecosystems are often strongly impacted by anthropogenic activities, making them a source for ARGs and antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB). Although freshwater meiofauna have been the object of active research, few studies have focused on the relationship between the spread of antibiotic resistance and these organisms. In this review, we investigated freshwater meiofauna as carriers of resistances since they play a central role in the aquatic environments and can harbor human and animal potential pathogens. We assessed if these animals could contribute to the spread of ARGs and of potentially pathogenic bacteria. Only four taxa (Rotifera, Chironomidae, Cladocera, Copepoda) were found to be the subject of studies focused on antibiotic resistance. The studies we analyzed, although with some limitations, demonstrated that ARGs and ARB can be found in these animals, and several of them showed the presence of potentially pathogenic bacteria for humans and animals within their microbiome. Thus, meiofauna can be considered a source and a reservoir, even if neglected, of ARGs and ARB for the freshwater environments. However, further studies are needed to evaluate the impact of the meiofauna on the spread and persistence of antibiotic resistance in these ecosystems.

scholarly journals Metagenomics Analysis Reveals the Microbial Communities, Antimicrobial Resistance Gene Diversity and Potential Pathogen Transmission Risk of Two Different Landfills in China

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 230
Author(s):  
Shan Wan ◽  
Min Xia ◽  
Jie Tao ◽  
Yanjun Pang ◽  
Fugen Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Resistance Gene ◽  
Resistance Genes ◽  
Gene Diversity ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Gene ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Pathogen Transmission ◽  
Transmission Risk ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance Gene

In this study, we used a metagenomic approach to analyze microbial communities, antibiotic resistance gene diversity, and human pathogenic bacterium composition in two typical landfills in China. Results showed that the phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria were predominant in the two landfills, and archaea and fungi were also detected. The genera Methanoculleus, Lysobacter, and Pseudomonas were predominantly present in all samples. sul2, sul1, tetX, and adeF were the four most abundant antibiotic resistance genes. Sixty-nine bacterial pathogens were identified from the two landfills, with Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bordetella pertussis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacillus cereus as the major pathogenic microorganisms, indicating the existence of potential environmental risk in landfills. In addition, KEGG pathway analysis indicated the presence of antibiotic resistance genes typically associated with human antibiotic resistance bacterial strains. These results provide insights into the risk of pathogens in landfills, which is important for controlling the potential secondary transmission of pathogens and reducing workers’ health risk during landfill excavation.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Lockdowns May Reduce Resistance Genes Diversity in the Human Microbiome and the Need for Antibiotics

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 6891
Author(s):  
João S. Rebelo ◽  
Célia P. F. Domingues ◽  
Francisco Dionisio ◽  
Manuel C. Gomes ◽  
Ana Botelho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Resistance Genes ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Bacterial Resistance ◽  
Human Microbiome ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Small World ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Hygiene Measures

Recently, much attention has been paid to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet bacterial resistance to antibiotics remains a serious and unresolved public health problem that kills hundreds of thousands of people annually, being an insidious and silent pandemic. To contain the spreading of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, populations confined and tightened hygiene measures. We performed this study with computer simulations and by using mobility data of mobile phones from Google in the region of Lisbon, Portugal, comprising 3.7 million people during two different lockdown periods, scenarios of 40 and 60% mobility reduction. In the simulations, we assumed that the network of physical contact between people is that of a small world and computed the antibiotic resistance in human microbiomes after 180 days in the simulation. Our simulations show that reducing human contacts drives a reduction in the diversity of antibiotic resistance genes in human microbiomes. Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn’s pairwise tests show very strong evidence (p < 0.000, adjusted using the Bonferroni correction) of a difference between the four confinement regimes. The proportion of variability in the ranked dependent variable accounted for by the confinement variable was η2 = 0.148, indicating a large effect of confinement on the diversity of antibiotic resistance. We have shown that confinement and hygienic measures, in addition to reducing the spread of pathogenic bacteria in a human network, also reduce resistance and the need to use antibiotics.

scholarly journals Monitoring and Evaluation of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Three Rivers in Northeast China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chen Zhao ◽  
Chenyu Li ◽  
Xiaoming Wang ◽  
Zhuosong Cao ◽  
Chao Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
River Water ◽  
Resistance Genes ◽  
Northeast China ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Distribution Characteristics ◽  
Beta Lactam ◽  
Three Rivers

Abstract Background: Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have become an important public health problem. In this study, we used metagenomic sequencing to analyze the composition of ARGs in certain original habitats of northeast China, comprising three different rivers and riverbank soils of the Heilongjiang River, Tumen River, and Yalu River. Results: Twenty types of ARG were detected in every water sample. The major ARGs were multidrug resistance genes, at approximately 0.5 copies/16s rRNA, accounting for 57.5% of the total ARG abundance. The abundance of multidrug, bacitracin, beta-lactam, macrolide‑lincosamide‑streptogramin, sulfonamide, fosmidomycin, and polymyxin resistance genes covered 96.9% of the total ARG abundance. No significant ecological boundary of ARG diversity was observed. The compositions of the resistance genes in the three rivers were very similar to each other, and 92.1% of ARG subtypes were shared by all water samples. Except for vancomycin resistance genes, almost all ARGs in riverbank soils were detected in the river water. About 31.05% ARGs were carried by Pseudomonas. Opportunistic pathogenic bacteria carrying resistance genes were mainly related to diarrhea and respiratory infections. Multidrug and beta-lactam resistance genes correlated positively with mobile genetic elements (MGEs), indicating a potential risk of diffusion.Conclusions: The composition of ARGs in three different rivers was similar, indicating that climate played an important role in ARG occurrence. ARG subtypes in river water were almost completely the same as those in riverbank soil. ARGs had no significant geographical distribution characteristics. Many ARGs were carried by human pathogenic bacteria related to human diarrhea and respiratory infections, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aeromonas caviae. In general, our results provide a valuable dataset of river water ARG distribution in northeast China. The related ecological geography distribution characteristics should be further explored.

Enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes in soil receiving composts derived from swine manure, yard wastes, or food wastes, and evidence for multiyear persistence of swine Clostridium spp.

2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Scott ◽  
Yuan-Ching Tien ◽  
Craig F. Drury ◽  
W. Daniel Reynolds ◽  
Edward Topp
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Resistance Genes ◽  
Swine Manure ◽  
Organic Amendments ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽  
Gene Target ◽  
Soil Dna ◽  
Yard Waste ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Clostridium Spp

The impact of amendment with swine manure compost (SMC), yard waste compost (YWC), or food waste compost (FWC) on the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes in soil was evaluated. Following a commercial-scale application of the composts in a field experiment, soils were sampled periodically for a decade, and archived air-dried. Soil DNA was extracted and gene targets quantified by qPCR. Compared with untreated control soil, all 3 amendment types increased the abundance of gene targets for up to 4 years postapplication. The abundance of several gene targets was much higher in soil amended with SMC than in soil receiving either YWC or FWC. The gene target ermB remained higher in the SMC treatment for a decade postapplication. Clostridia were significantly more abundant in the SMC-amended soil throughout the decade following application. Eight percent of Clostridium spp. isolates from the SMC treatment carried ermB. Overall, addition of organic amendments to soils has the potential to increase the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes. Amendments of fecal origin, such as SMC, will in addition entrain bacteria carrying antibiotic resistance genes. Environmentally recalcitrant clostridia, and the antibiotic resistance genes that they carry, will persist for many years under field conditions following the application of SMC.

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