# | Rank | Similarity | Title + Abs. | Year | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 6648 | 0 | 0.9863 | Multi-Drug Resistant Coliform: Water Sanitary Standards and Health Hazards. Water constitutes and sustains life; however, its pollution afflicts its necessity, further worsening its scarcity. Coliform is one of the largest groups of bacteria evident in fecally polluted water, a major public health concern. Coliform thrive as commensals in the gut of warm-blooded animals, and are indefinitely passed through their feces into the environment. They are also called as model organisms as their presence is indicative of the prevalence of other potential pathogens, thus coliform are and unanimously employed as adept indicators of fecal pollution. As only a limited accessible source of fresh water is available on the planet, its contamination severely affects its usability. Coliform densities vary geographically and seasonally which leads to the lack of universally uniform regulatory guidelines regarding water potability often leads to ineffective detection of these model organisms and the misinterpretation of water quality status. Remedial measures such as disinfection, reducing the nutrient concentration or re-population doesn't hold context in huge lotic ecosystems such as freshwater rivers. There is also an escalating concern regarding the prevalence of multi-drug resistance in coliforms which renders antibiotic therapy incompetent. Antimicrobials are increasingly used in household, clinical, veterinary, animal husbandry and agricultural settings. Sub-optimal concentrations of these antimicrobials are unintentionally but regularly dispensed into the environment through seepages, sewages or runoffs from clinical or agricultural settings substantially adding to the ever-increasing pool of antibiotic resistance genes. When present below their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), these antimicrobials trigger the transfer of antibiotic-resistant genes that the coliform readily assimilate and further propagate to pathogens, the severity of which is evidenced by the high Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) index shown by the bacterial isolates procured from the environmental. This review attempts to assiduously anthologize the use of coliforms as water quality standards, their existent methods of detection and the issue of arising multi-drug resistance in them. | 2018 | 29946253 |
| 6635 | 1 | 0.9858 | Antimicrobial resistance dashboard application for mapping environmental occurrence and resistant pathogens. An antibiotic resistance (AR) Dashboard application is being developed regarding the occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) and bacteria (ARB) in environmental and clinical settings. The application gathers and geospatially maps AR studies, reported occurrence and antibiograms, which can be downloaded for offline analysis. With the integration of multiple data sets, the database can be used on a regional or global scale to identify hot spots for ARGs and ARB; track and link spread and transmission, quantify environmental or human factors influencing presence and persistence of ARG harboring organisms; differentiate natural ARGs from those distributed via human or animal activity; cluster and compare ARGs connections in different environments and hosts; and identify genes that can be used as proxies to routinely monitor anthropogenic pollution. To initially populate and develop the AR Dashboard, a qPCR ARG array was tested with 30 surface waters, primary influent from three waste water treatment facilities, ten clinical isolates from a regional hospital and data from previously published studies including river, park soil and swine farm samples. Interested users are invited to download a beta version (available on iOS or Android), submit AR information using the application, and provide feedback on current and prospective functionalities. | 2016 | 26850162 |
| 6577 | 2 | 0.9856 | Evaluating Microbial and Chemical Hazards in Commercial Struvite Recovered from Wastewater. Controlled struvite (NH(4)MgPO(4)·6H(2)O) precipitation has become a well-known process for nutrient recovery from wastewater treatment systems to alleviate the pressures of diminishing, finite rock phosphate reservoirs. Nonetheless, coprecipitation of potential microbial and chemical hazards is poorly understood. On the other hand, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global public health concern and wastewater is thought to disseminate resistance genes within bacteria. Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) are typically used as measures of treatment quality, and with multiresistant E. coli and Enterococcus spp. rising in concern, the quantification of FIB can be used as a preliminary method to assess the risk of AMR. Focusing on struvite produced from full-scale operations, culture and qPCR methods were utilized to identify FIB, antibiotic resistance genes, and human enteric viruses in the final product. Detection of these hazards occurred in both wet and dry struvite samples indicating that there is a potential risk that needs further consideration. Chemical and biological analyses support the idea that the presence of other wastewater components can impact struvite formation through ion and microbial interference. While heavy metal concentrations met current fertilizer standards, the presence of K, Na, Ca, and Fe ions can impact struvite purity yet provide benefit for agricultural uses. Additionally, the quantified hazards detected varied among struvite samples produced from different methods and sources, thus indicating that production methods could be a large factor in the risk associated with wastewater-recovered struvite. In all, coprecipitation of metals, fecal indicator bacteria, antimicrobial resistance genes, and human enteric viruses with struvite was shown to be likely, and future engineered wastewater systems producing struvite may require additional step(s) to manage these newly identified public health risks. | 2019 | 30964655 |
| 7358 | 3 | 0.9856 | Global dispersal and potential sources of antibiotic resistance genes in atmospheric remote depositions. Antibiotic resistance has become a major Global Health concern and a better understanding on the global spread mechanisms of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and intercontinental ARB exchange is needed. We measured atmospheric depositions of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) by quantitative (q)PCR in rain/snow collected fortnightly along 4 y. at a remote high mountain LTER (Long-Term Ecological Research) site located above the atmospheric boundary layer (free troposphere). Bacterial composition was characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and air mass provenances were determined by modelled back trajectories and rain/snow chemical composition. We hypothesize that the free troposphere may act as permanent reservoir and vector for ARB and ARGs global dispersal. We aimed to i) determine whether ARGs are long-range intercontinental and persistently dispersed through aerosols, ii) assess ARGs long-term atmospheric deposition dynamics in a remote high mountain area, and iii) unveil potential diffuse ARGs pollution sources. We showed that the ARGs sul1 (resistance to sulfonamides), tetO (resistance to tetracyclines), and intI1 (a proxy for horizontal gene transfer and anthropogenic pollution) were long-range and persistently dispersed in free troposphere aerosols. Major depositions of tetracyclines resistance matched with intensification of African dust outbreaks. Potential ARB mostly traced their origin back into agricultural soils. Our study unveils that air masses pathways are shaping ARGs intercontinental dispersal and global spread of antibiotic resistances, with potential predictability for interannual variability and remote deposition rates. Because climate regulates aerosolization and long-range air masses movement patterns, we call for a more careful evaluation of the connections between land use, climate change and ARB long-range intercontinental dispersal. | 2022 | 35016024 |
| 7648 | 4 | 0.9855 | Bacterial Associations Across House Fly Life History: Evidence for Transstadial Carriage From Managed Manure. House flies (Diptera: Muscidae; Musca domestica L.) associate with microbe-rich substrates throughout life history. Because larvae utilize bacteria as a food source, most taxa present in the larval substrate, e.g., manure, are digested or degraded. However, some species survive and are present as third-instar larvae begin pupation. During metamorphosis, many bacteria are again lost during histolysis of the larval gut and subsequent remodeling to produce the gut of the imago. It has been previously demonstrated that some bacterial species survive metamorphosis, being left behind in the puparium, present on the body surface, or in the gut of the emerged adult. We used a combined culture-molecular approach to identify viable microbes from managed manure residue and a wild population of house fly larvae, pupae, puparia, and adults to assess transstadial carriage. All larval (10/10), pupal (10/10), and puparial (10/10) cultures were positive for bacteria. Several bacterial species that were present in larvae also were present either in pupae or puparia. Four viable bacterial species were detectable in 6 of 10 imagoes reared from manure. Of note is the apparent transstadial carriage of Bacillus sonorensis, which has been associated with milk spoilage at dairies, and Alcaligenes faecalis, which can harbor numerous antibiotic resistance genes on farms. The potential of newly emerged flies to harbor and disseminate bacteria from managed manure on farms is an understudied risk that deserves further evaluation. | 2016 | 26798138 |
| 7661 | 5 | 0.9854 | Heavy Metal Pollution Impacts Soil Bacterial Community Structure and Antimicrobial Resistance at the Birmingham 35th Avenue Superfund Site. Heavy metals (HMs) are known to modify bacterial communities both in the laboratory and in situ. Consequently, soils in HM-contaminated sites such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund sites are predicted to have altered ecosystem functioning, with potential ramifications for the health of organisms, including humans, that live nearby. Further, several studies have shown that heavy metal-resistant (HMR) bacteria often also display antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and therefore HM-contaminated soils could potentially act as reservoirs that could disseminate AMR genes into human-associated pathogenic bacteria. To explore this possibility, topsoil samples were collected from six public locations in the zip code 35207 (the home of the North Birmingham 35th Avenue Superfund Site) and in six public areas in the neighboring zip code, 35214. 35027 soils had significantly elevated levels of the HMs As, Mn, Pb, and Zn, and sequencing of the V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene revealed that elevated HM concentrations correlated with reduced microbial diversity and altered community structure. While there was no difference between zip codes in the proportion of total culturable HMR bacteria, bacterial isolates with HMR almost always also exhibited AMR. Metagenomes inferred using PICRUSt2 also predicted significantly higher mean relative frequencies in 35207 for several AMR genes related to both specific and broad-spectrum AMR phenotypes. Together, these results support the hypothesis that chronic HM pollution alters the soil bacterial community structure in ecologically meaningful ways and may also select for bacteria with increased potential to contribute to AMR in human disease. IMPORTANCE Heavy metals cross-select for antimicrobial resistance in laboratory experiments, but few studies have documented this effect in polluted soils. Moreover, despite decades of awareness of heavy metal contamination at the EPA Superfund site in North Birmingham, Alabama, this is the first analysis of the impact of this pollution on the soil microbiome. Specifically, this work advances the understanding of the relationship between heavy metals, microbial diversity, and patterns of antibiotic resistance in North Birmingham soils. Our results suggest that polluted soils carry a risk of increased exposure to antibiotic-resistant infections in addition to the direct health consequences of heavy metals. Our work provides important information relevant to both political and scientific efforts to advance environmental justice for the communities that call Superfund neighborhoods home. | 2023 | 36951567 |
| 6713 | 6 | 0.9851 | Human Colonization with Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria from Nonoccupational Exposure to Domesticated Animals in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Critical Review. Data on community-acquired antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections are particularly sparse in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Limited surveillance and oversight of antibiotic use in food-producing animals, inadequate access to safe drinking water, and insufficient sanitation and hygiene infrastructure in LMICs could exacerbate the risk of zoonotic antibiotic resistance transmission. This critical review compiles evidence of zoonotic exchange of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) or antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) within households and backyard farms in LMICs, as well as assesses transmission mechanisms, risk factors, and environmental transmission pathways. Overall, substantial evidence exists for exchange of antibiotic resistance between domesticated animals and in-contact humans. Whole bacteria transmission and horizontal gene transfer between humans and animals were demonstrated within and between households and backyard farms. Further, we identified water, soil, and animal food products as environmental transmission pathways for exchange of ARB and ARGs between animals and humans, although directionality of transmission is poorly understood. Herein we propose study designs, methods, and topical considerations for priority incorporation into future One Health research to inform effective interventions and policies to disrupt zoonotic antibiotic resistance exchange in low-income communities. | 2022 | 35947446 |
| 6714 | 7 | 0.9851 | Differential Drivers of Antimicrobial Resistance across the World. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest threats faced by humankind. The development of resistance in clinical and hospital settings has been well documented ever since the initial discovery of penicillin and the subsequent introduction of sulfonamides as clinical antibiotics. In contrast, the environmental (i.e., community-acquired) dimensions of resistance dissemination have been only more recently delineated. The global spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) between air, water, soil, and food is now well documented, while the factors that affect ARB and ARG dissemination (e.g., water and air quality, antibiotic fluxes, urbanization, sanitation practices) in these and other environmental matrices are just now beginning to be more fully appreciated. In this Account, we discuss how the global perpetuation of resistance is dictated by highly interconnected socioeconomic risk factors and illustrate that development status should be more fully considered when developing global strategies to address AMR. We first differentiate low to middle income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs), then we summarize the modes of action of commercially available antibiotics, and then discuss the four primary mechanisms by which bacteria develop resistance to those antibiotics. Resistance is disseminated via both vertical gene transfer (VGT; parent to offspring) as well as by horizontal gene transfer (HGT; cell to cell transference of genetic material). A key challenge hindering attempts to control resistance dissemination is the presence of native, environmental bacteria that can harbor ARGs. Such environmental "resistomes" have potential to transfer resistance to pathogens via HGT. Of particular concern is the development of resistance to antibiotics of last-resort such as the cephalosporins, carbapenems, and polymyxins. We then illustrate how antibiotic use differs in LMICs relative to HICs in terms of the volumes of antibiotics used and their fate within local environments. Antibiotic use in HICs has remained flat over the past 15 years, while in LMICs use over the same period has increased substantially as a result of economic improvements and changes in diet. These use and fate differences impact local citizens and thus the local dissemination of AMR. Various physical, social, and economic circumstances within LMICs potentially favor AMR dissemination. We focus on three physical factors: changing population density, sanitation infrastructure, and solid-waste disposal. We show that high population densities in cities within LMICs that suffer from poor sanitation and solid-waste disposal can potentially impact the dissemination of resistance. In the final section, we discuss potential monitoring approaches to quantify the spread of resistance both within LMICs as well as in HICs. We posit that culture-based approaches, molecular approaches, and cutting-edge nanotechnology-based methods for monitoring ARB and ARGs should be considered both within HICs and, as appropriate, within LMICs. | 2019 | 30848890 |
| 3073 | 8 | 0.9851 | A watershed impacted by anthropogenic activities: Microbial community alterations and reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes. Water is the main resource for maintaining life. Anthropic activities influence the microbial epidemiological chain in watersheds, which can act as ways of disseminating microorganisms resistant to antimicrobial drugs, with impacts on human, animal, and environmental health. Here, we characterized aquatic microbial communities and their resistomes in samples collected along Rio das Ostras watershed during two seasons. Surface water samples were collected at eleven sites from the Jundiá, Iriry, and Rio das Ostras rivers in two seasons (dry and wet season). Microbial DNA was extracted, high-throughput sequenced and screened for antimicrobial resistance genetic (ARG) markers. The physicochemical characteristics and the microbiota data confirmed that Rio das Ostras watershed can be divided into three well defined portions: rural, urban, and marine. Rural areas were enriched by bacteria typically found in limnic environments and Patescibacteria phyla. The urban portion was characterized by sites with low pH and groups associated with iron oxidation. Some genera of clinical relevance were also identified, though in relatively low abundance. The marine site was enriched mainly by Cyanobacteria and bacteria that showed strong correlation with conductivity, salinity, and chloride. Twenty-six ARG markers were identified on the resistome, being found most frequently in the urban area, despite being present in rural sites. Among them were some related to classes of great clinical concern, such as genes coding for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (bla(CTX-M) and bla(TEM)), resistance to carbapenems (bla(KPC)) and to methicillin by Staphylococcus aureus (mecA). These results broaden our understanding of the microbial community of a watershed impacted by anthropogenic actions. The large number of ARGs detected along the Rio das Ostras watershed contrasts with the small number of microorganisms of clinical relevance observed, suggesting that antimicrobial resistance has arisen from non-clinical environments and microbes. Our results corroborate that freshwater acts as a reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes. | 2021 | 34328962 |
| 3220 | 9 | 0.9851 | Metabolically-active bacteria in reclaimed water and ponds revealed using bromodeoxyuridine DNA labeling coupled with 16S rRNA and shotgun sequencing. Understanding the complex microbiota of agricultural irrigation water is vital to multiple sectors of sustainable agriculture and public health. To date, microbiome characterization methods have provided comprehensive profiles of aquatic microbiotas, but have not described which taxa are likely metabolically-active. Here, we combined 5‑bromo‑2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling with 16S rRNA and shotgun sequencing to identify metabolically-active bacteria in reclaimed and agricultural pond water samples (n = 28) recovered from the Mid-Atlantic United States between March 2017 and January 2018. BrdU-treated samples were significantly less diverse (alpha diversity) compared to non-BrdU-treated samples. The most abundant taxa in the metabolically-active fraction of water samples (BrdU-treated samples) were unclassified Actinobacteria, Flavobacterium spp., Pseudomonas spp. and Aeromonas spp. Interestingly, we also observed that antimicrobial resistance and virulence gene profiles seemed to be more diverse and more abundant in non-BrdU-treated water samples compared to BrdU-treated samples. These findings raise the possibility that these genes may be associated more with relic (inactive) DNA present in the tested water types rather than viable, metabolically-active microorganisms. Our study demonstrates that the coupled use of BrdU labeling and sequencing can enhance understanding of the metabolically-active fraction of bacterial communities in alternative irrigation water sources. Agricultural pond and reclaimed waters are vital to the future of sustainable agriculture, and thus, the full understanding of the pathogenic potential of these waters is important to guide mitigation strategies that ensure appropriate water quality for intended purposes. | 2020 | 32726735 |
| 7695 | 10 | 0.9850 | Use of proximity ligation shotgun metagenomics to investigate the dynamics of plasmids and bacteriophages in the gut microbiome following fecal microbiota transplantation. Proximity ligation shotgun metagenomics facilitate the analysis of the relationships between mobile genetic elements, such as plasmids and bacteriophages, and their specific bacterial hosts. We applied this technique to investigate the changes in the fecal microbiome of patients receiving fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections (rCDI). FMT was associated with successful engraftment of donor bacteria along with their associated bacteriophages. While fecal microbial diversity increased in all patients, the extent of specific bacterial taxa engraftment varied among individual patients. Interestingly, some donor bacteriophages remained closely linked to their original bacterial hosts, while others expanded their associations across different bacterial taxa. Notably, FMT partially reduced the content of vancomycin resistance and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase genes in the fecal microbiome of rCDI patients. | 2025 | 40948444 |
| 7357 | 11 | 0.9850 | Metagenomic surveys show a widespread diffusion of antibiotic resistance genes in a transect from urbanized to marine protected area. Ports are hot spots of pollution; they receive pollution from land-based sources, marine traffic and port infrastructures. Marine ecosystems of nearby areas can be strongly affected by pollution from port-related activities. Here, we investigated the microbiomes present in sea floor sediments along a transect from the harbour of Livorno (Central Italy) to a nearby marine protected area. Results of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) analyses indicated the presence of different trends of specific bacterial groups (e.g. phyla NB1-j, Acidobacteriota and Desulfobulbales) along the transect, correlating with the measured pollution levels. Human pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were also found. These results demonstrate a pervasive impact of human port activities and highlight the importance of microbiological surveillance of marine sediments, which may constitute a reservoir of ARGs and pathogenic bacteria. | 2025 | 39908950 |
| 7725 | 12 | 0.9850 | Inter-facility characterization of bacteria in seafood processing plants: Exploring potential reservoirs of spoilage organisms and the resistome. A study was conducted in fish processing facilities to investigate the microbial composition, microbial metabolic potential, and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes. Whole metagenomic sequencing was used to analyze microbial communities from different processing rooms, operators and fish products. Taxonomic analyses identified the genera Pseudomonas and Psychrobacter as the most prevalent bacteria. A Principal Component Analysis revealed a distinct separation between fish product and environmental samples, as well as differences between fish product samples from companies processing either Gadidae or Salmonidae fish. Some particular bacterial genera and species were associated with specific processing rooms and operators. Metabolic analysis of metagenome assembled genomes demonstrated variations in microbiota metabolic profiles of microbiota across rooms and fish products. The study also examined the presence of antibiotic-resistance genes in fish processing environments, contributing to the understanding of microbial dynamics, metabolic potential, and implications for fish spoilage. | 2024 | 39071556 |
| 6792 | 13 | 0.9850 | Parity in bacterial communities and resistomes: Microplastic and natural organic particles in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Petroleum-based microplastic particles (MPs) are carriers of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in aquatic environments, influencing the selection and spread of antimicrobial resistance. This research characterized MP and natural organic particle (NOP) bacterial communities and resistomes in the Tyrrhenian Sea, a region impacted by plastic pollution and climate change. MP and NOP bacterial communities were similar but different from the free-living planktonic communities. Likewise, MP and NOP ARG abundances were similar but different (higher) from the planktonic communities. MP and NOP metagenome-assembled genomes contained ARGs associated with mobile genetic elements and exhibited co-occurrence with metal resistance genes. Overall, these findings show that MPs and NOPs harbor potential pathogenic and antimicrobial resistant bacteria, which can aid in the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Further, petroleum-based MPs do not represent novel ecological niches for allochthonous bacteria; rather, they synergize with NOPs, collectively facilitating the spread of antimicrobial resistance in marine ecosystems. | 2024 | 38759465 |
| 6798 | 14 | 0.9849 | Diet-driven diversity of antibiotic resistance genes in wild bats: implications for public health. Wild bats may serve as reservoirs for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, potentially contributing to antibiotic resistance and pathogen transmission. However, current assessments of bats' antibiotic resistance potential are limited to culture-dependent bacterial snapshots. In this study, we present metagenomic evidence supporting a strong association between diet, gut microbiota, and the resistome, highlighting bats as significant vectors for ARG propagation. We characterized gut microbiota, ARGs, and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in bats with five distinct diets: frugivory, insectivory, piscivory, carnivory, and sanguivory. Our analysis revealed high levels of ARGs in bat guts, with limited potential for horizontal transfer, encompassing 1106 ARGs conferring resistance to 26 antibiotics. Multidrug-resistant and polymyxin-resistant genes were particularly prevalent among identified ARG types. The abundance and diversity of ARGs/MGEs varied significantly among bats with different dietary habits, possibly due to diet-related differences in microbial composition. Additionally, genetic linkage between high-risk ARGs and multiple MGEs was observed on the genomes of various zoonotic pathogens, indicating a potential threat to human health from wild bats. Overall, our study provides a comprehensive analysis of the resistome in wild bats and underscores the role of dietary habits in wildlife-associated public health risks. | 2025 | 39892320 |
| 7728 | 15 | 0.9849 | Microbiome mapping in dairy industry reveals new species and genes for probiotic and bioprotective activities. The resident microbiome in food industries may impact on food quality and safety. In particular, microbes residing on surfaces in dairy industries may actively participate in cheese fermentation and ripening and contribute to the typical flavor and texture. In this work, we carried out an extensive microbiome mapping in 73 cheese-making industries producing different types of cheeses (fresh, medium and long ripened) and located in 4 European countries. We sequenced and analyzed metagenomes from cheese samples, raw materials and environmental swabs collected from both food contact and non-food contact surfaces, as well as operators' hands and aprons. Dairy plants were shown to harbor a very complex microbiome, characterized by high prevalence of genes potentially involved in flavor development, probiotic activities, and resistance to gastro-intestinal transit, suggesting that these microbes may potentially be transferred to the human gut microbiome. More than 6100 high-quality Metagenome Assembled Genomes (MAGs) were reconstructed, including MAGs from several Lactic Acid Bacteria species and putative new species. Although microbial pathogens were not prevalent, we found several MAGs harboring genes related to antibiotic resistance, highlighting that dairy industry surfaces represent a potential hotspot for antimicrobial resistance (AR) spreading along the food chain. Finally, we identified facility-specific strains that can represent clear microbial signatures of different cheesemaking facilities, suggesting an interesting potential of microbiome tracking for the traceability of cheese origin. | 2024 | 39095404 |
| 6695 | 16 | 0.9849 | 'Disperse abroad in the land': the role of wildlife in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been detected in the microbiota of many wildlife species, including long-distance migrants. Inadequately treated wastes from humans and livestock dosed with antimicrobial drugs are often assumed to be the main sources of AMR to wildlife. While wildlife populations closely associated with human populations are more likely to harbour clinically important AMR related to that found in local humans and livestock, AMR is still common in remote wildlife populations with little direct human influence. Most reports of AMR in wildlife are survey based and/or small scale, so researchers can only speculate on possible sources and sinks of AMR or the impact of wildlife AMR on clinical resistance. This lack of quantitative data on the flow of AMR genes and AMR bacteria across the natural environment could reflect the numerous AMR sources and amplifiers in the populated world. Ecosystems with relatively simple and well-characterized potential inputs of AMR can provide tractable, but realistic, systems for studying AMR in the natural environment. New tools, such as animal tracking technologies and high-throughput sequencing of resistance genes and mobilomes, should be integrated with existing methodologies to understand how wildlife maintains and disperses AMR. | 2016 | 27531155 |
| 7356 | 17 | 0.9849 | Tossed 'good luck' coins as vectors for anthropogenic pollution into aquatic environment. Superstition has it that tossing coins into wells or fountains brings good luck, thereby causing a potential accumulation of microbially contaminated metal particles in the water. Here, we characterized the microbiota and the resistance profile in biofilm on such coins and their surrounding sediments. The study site was a tidal marine lake within a touristic center located in a natural reserve area. Notwithstanding the fact that coin-related biofilms were dominated by typical marine taxa, coin biofilms had specific microbial communities that were different from the communities of the surrounding sediment. Moreover, the communities were different depending on whether the coin were made mainly of steel or of copper. Sequences affiliated with putative pathogens were found on every third coin but were not found in the surrounding sediment. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were detected on most of the coins, and interestingly, sediments close to the area where coins accumulate had a higher frequency of ARGs. We suggest that the surface of the coins might offer a niche for ARGs and faecal bacteria to survive, and, thus, tossed coins are a potential source and vector for ARGs into the surrounding environment. | 2020 | 31887589 |
| 7372 | 18 | 0.9849 | Variability of faecal microbiota and antibiotic resistance genes in flocks of migratory gulls and comparison with the surrounding environment. Gulls commonly rely on human-generated waste as their primary food source, contributing to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and their resistance genes, both locally and globally. Our understanding of this process remains incomplete, particularly in relation to its potential interaction with surrounding soil and water. We studied the lesser black-backed gull, Larus fuscus, as a model to examine the spatial variation of faecal bacterial communities, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and its relationship with the surrounding water and soil. We conducted sampling campaigns within a connectivity network of different flocks of gulls moving across functional units (FUs), each of which represents a module of highly interconnected patches of habitats used for roosting and feeding. The FUs vary in habitat use, with some gulls using more polluted sites (notably landfills), while others prefer more natural environments (e.g., wetlands or beaches). Faecal bacterial communities in gulls from flocks that visit and spend more time in landfills exhibited higher richness and diversity. The faecal microbiota showed a high compositional overlap with bacterial communities in soil. The overlap was greater when compared to landfill (11%) than to wetland soils (6%), and much lower when compared to bacterial communities in surrounding water (2% and 1% for landfill and wetland water, respectively). The relative abundance of ARGs and MGEs were similar between FUs, with variations observed only for specific families of ARGs and MGEs. When exploring the faecal carriage of ARGs and MGEs in bird faeces relative to soil and water compartments, gull faeces were enriched in ARGs classified as High-Risk. Our results shed light on the complex dynamics of antibiotic resistance spread in wild bird populations, providing insights into the interactions among gull movement and feeding behavior, habitat characteristics, and the dissemination of antibiotic resistance determinants across environmental reservoirs. | 2024 | 39019307 |
| 7077 | 19 | 0.9849 | Surfaces of gymnastic equipment as reservoirs of microbial pathogens with potential for transmission of bacterial infection and antimicrobial resistance. Gymnastic equipment surfaces are shared by many people, and could mediate the transfer of bacterial pathogens. To better understand this detrimental potential, investigations on the reservoirs of bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial resistance on the surfaces of gymnastic equipment were performed by analyzing the bacterial community structures, prevalence of viable bacteria, and presence of antimicrobial resistance on both indoor and outdoor gymnastic facilities. The results of high-throughput 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing showed that Gram-positive bacteria on the surfaces of indoor gymnastic equipment significantly enriched, including the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus strains, while Enterobacteriaceae significantly enriched on surfaces of outdoor gymnastic equipment. The analysis of α-diversities showed a higher richness and diversity for bacterial communities on the surfaces of gymnastic equipment than the environment. Analysis of β-diversities showed that the bacterial communities on the surfaces of gymnastic equipment differ significantly from environmental bacterial communities, while the bacterial communities on indoor and outdoor equipment are also significantly different. Thirty-four bacterial isolates were obtained from the surfaces of gymnastic equipment, including three multidrug Staphylococcus and one multidrug resistant Pantoea. In particular, Staphylococcus hemolyticus 5-6, isolated from the dumbbell surface, is a multidrug resistant, hemolytic, high- risk pathogen. The results of quantitative PCR targeting antibiotic resistance related genes (intI1, sul1 and bla (TEM)) showed that the abundances of sul1 and bla (TEM) genes on the surfaces of gymnastic equipment are higher than the environment, while the abundances of sul1 gene on indoor equipment are higher than outdoor equipment. These results lead to the conclusion that the surfaces of gymnastic equipment are potential dissemination pathways for highly dangerous pathogens as well as antimicrobial resistance, and the risks of indoor equipment are higher than outdoor equipment. | 2023 | 37152727 |