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Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Aug 2022Rapid development of aquaculture industry and increasing demand of various inputs (especially antibiotics), are suspected to promote the occurrence and spread of ARGs in...
Rapid development of aquaculture industry and increasing demand of various inputs (especially antibiotics), are suspected to promote the occurrence and spread of ARGs in aquaculture related environments. However, the occurrences of ARGs under different freshwater aquaculture practices are rarely known. Here, we investigated the seasonal profiles of the main ARGs, intI1 and bacteria in waters from three kinds of predominant freshwater aquaculture practices around the Honghu Lake (China), as well as their co-occurrences and interrelationships with antibiotics, heavy metals and general water quality. The results indicate that quinolone resistance genes (qnrB), tetracycline resistance genes (tetB and tetX) and sulfonamide resistance genes (sul1 and sul2) were the top five predominant ARGs with seasonal variations of abundance. Fish ponds were of the highest absolute abundances of tested ARGs than the other two modes. Crayfish ponds and their adjacent ditches shared similar ARGs profile. Different subtypes of ARGs belonging to the same class of resistance were varied in abundances. Some bacteria were predicted to carry different ARGs, which indicating multi-antibiotic resistances. Moreover, the combined environmental factors (antibiotics, heavy metals and water quality) partially shaped the profiles of ARGs and bacteria composition. Overall, this study provides new comprehensive understanding on the characterization of ARGs contamination in different freshwater aquaculture practices from the perspectives of environmental chemistry, microbiology and ecology. The results would benefit the optimization of aquaculture practices toward environmental integrity and sustainability.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Aquaculture; Bacteria; China; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Genes, Bacterial; Lakes; Metals, Heavy
PubMed: 36068758
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113832 -
Skin Therapy Letter Mar 2023Virtually any antibiotic can be used in dermatology given the broad range of conditions treated. With the widespread use of antibiotics and the rapid emergence of...
Virtually any antibiotic can be used in dermatology given the broad range of conditions treated. With the widespread use of antibiotics and the rapid emergence of resistant organisms, it is important to understand how dermatologists can combat this issue.
Topics: Humans; Dermatology; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Biochemical Phenomena; Acne Vulgaris
PubMed: 37054726
DOI: No ID Found -
Proceedings. Biological Sciences Dec 2019Resilience is the capacity of systems to recover their initial state or functions after a disturbance. The concepts of resilience and resistance are complementary in...
Resilience is the capacity of systems to recover their initial state or functions after a disturbance. The concepts of resilience and resistance are complementary in ecology and both represent different aspects of the stability of ecosystems. However, antibiotic resilience is not used in clinical bacteriology whereas antibiotic resistance is a recognized major problem. To join the fields of ecology and clinical bacteriology, we first review the resilience concept from ecology, socio-ecological systems and microbiology where it is widely developed. We then review resilience-related concepts in microbiology, including bacterial tolerance and persistence, phenotypic heterogeneity and collective tolerance and resistance. We discuss how antibiotic resilience could be defined and argue that the use of this concept largely relies on its experimental measure and its clinical relevance. We review indicators in microbiology which could be used to reflect antibiotic resilience and used as valuable indicators to anticipate the capacity of bacteria to recover from antibiotic treatments.
Topics: Adaptation, Physiological; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Ecology; Ecosystem
PubMed: 31795866
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2408 -
Medical Humanities Sep 2022The study presented in this article is about the role played by imagination when national and international organisations convey the idea of a dystopian crisis involved...
The study presented in this article is about the role played by imagination when national and international organisations convey the idea of a dystopian crisis involved in the real transition to a postantibiotic era. The present is an era that can be defined as a time when no new antibiotics are discovered or developed, and existing antibiotics simultaneously become less effective since bacteria develop resistance against the active substances. Today, antibiotic resistance is an international fact; thousands of people die every year in Europe and the USA as a result of bacteria that have become resistant. Then, imagination can conjure up a different and a much more dystopian future. This article stems from a public debate concerning the global increase of antibiotic resistance; and will examine how the concept of fantasy and imagination is central in picturing such a future crisis in society. The article's empirical basis mainly consists of reports from global and Swedish organisations, dating from the 1990s and onwards. These fantasies show that our society has a strong urge to always try to understand and explain present time and to identify how 'our' era relates to the past as well as the future. The concept of crisis plays an important role in these fantasies, it is key to use it when thinking about change. The analysis builds on texts and illustrations from global organisations like the WHO and also national authorities in Sweden that aim to convey the science behind the challenge. The aim is to develop a theoretical and empirical understanding, from the perspective of cultural analysis, of how fantasy and crisis are linked when the future is conceived.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Forecasting; Humans; Imagination
PubMed: 35922118
DOI: 10.1136/medhum-2022-012409 -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Jul 2023The evolvement and development of antibiotic resistance in microorganisms may be influenced by metals; however, it is still unclear how cadmium (Cd) and copper (Cu)...
The evolvement and development of antibiotic resistance in microorganisms may be influenced by metals; however, it is still unclear how cadmium (Cd) and copper (Cu) combined affect the distribution and presence of antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) in rhizosphere soil. The aims of this research were to (1) compare the distribution patterns of bacterial communities and ARGs in response to the effects of Cd and Cu both separately and combined; (2) explore the possible mechanisms underlying the variation in soil bacterial communities and ARGs in addition to the combined effects of Cd, Cu, and various environmental variables (nutrients, pH, etc.); and (3) provide a reference for assessing the risks of metals (Cd and Cu) and ARGs. The findings showed that the multidrug resistance genes acrA and acrB and the transposon gene intI-1 were present in high relative abundance in bacterial communities. Cadmium and Cu had a substantial interaction effect on the abundance of acrA, whereas Cu had a notable main effect on the abundance of intI-1. According to the network analysis, the strong links between bacterial taxa and specific ARGs revealed that most ARGs were hosted by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. According to structural equation modeling, Cd had a larger effect on ARGs than Cu. Compared to previous analyses of ARGs, bacterial community diversity had little effect on ARGs in this study. Overall, the results may have important consequences for determining the possible hazard of soil metals and extend the understanding of how Cd and Cu co-select ARGs in rhizosphere soils.
Topics: Cadmium; Copper; Soil; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Rhizosphere; Soil Microbiology; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Bacteria; Genes, Bacterial
PubMed: 37196522
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115008 -
Microbiome Mar 2023Bacterial communities in humans, animals, and the external environment maintain a large collection of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, few of these ARGs are...
BACKGROUND
Bacterial communities in humans, animals, and the external environment maintain a large collection of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, few of these ARGs are well-characterized and thus established in existing resistance gene databases. In contrast, the remaining latent ARGs are typically unknown and overlooked in most sequencing-based studies. Our view of the resistome and its diversity is therefore incomplete, which hampers our ability to assess risk for promotion and spread of yet undiscovered resistance determinants.
RESULTS
A reference database consisting of both established and latent ARGs (ARGs not present in current resistance gene repositories) was created. By analyzing more than 10,000 metagenomic samples, we showed that latent ARGs were more abundant and diverse than established ARGs in all studied environments, including the human- and animal-associated microbiomes. The pan-resistomes, i.e., all ARGs present in an environment, were heavily dominated by latent ARGs. In comparison, the core-resistome, i.e., ARGs that were commonly encountered, comprised both latent and established ARGs. We identified several latent ARGs shared between environments and/or present in human pathogens. Context analysis of these genes showed that they were located on mobile genetic elements, including conjugative elements. We, furthermore, identified that wastewater microbiomes had a surprisingly large pan- and core-resistome, which makes it a potentially high-risk environment for the mobilization and promotion of latent ARGs.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results show that latent ARGs are ubiquitously present in all environments and constitute a diverse reservoir from which new resistance determinants can be recruited to pathogens. Several latent ARGs already had high mobile potential and were present in human pathogens, suggesting that they may constitute emerging threats to human health. We conclude that the full resistome-including both latent and established ARGs-needs to be considered to properly assess the risks associated with antibiotic selection pressures. Video Abstract.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Microbiota; Metagenome; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Databases, Factual
PubMed: 36882798
DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01479-0 -
International Journal of Environmental... Nov 2022Antibiotic resistance pollution in livestock manure is a persistent issue that has drawn public attention. Vermicomposting is an ecofriendly biological process that can...
Antibiotic resistance pollution in livestock manure is a persistent issue that has drawn public attention. Vermicomposting is an ecofriendly biological process that can render livestock manure harmless and resourceful. However, little is known about the impact of vermicomposting on antibiotic resistance in livestock manure under stress caused by potentially toxic arsenic levels. Herein, lab-scale vermicomposting was performed to comprehensively evaluate the shift in antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and related microorganisms in fresh earthworm casts as well as vermicompost product health (i.e., nutrient availability and enzyme activity) when they were fed on arsenic-contaminated cow manure. The results showed that the earthworms' interaction with cow dung led to a significant reduction in ARG concentrations, especially for tetracycline ARGs (-ARGs), β-lactam ARGs (-ARGs), and quinolone ARGs (-ARGs). However, arsenic significantly enhanced ARG accumulation in earthworm casts in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, vermicomposting increased the percentage of Bacteroidota in the converted products. Furthermore, arsenic exposure at low concentrations promoted the proliferation of Proteobacteria, whereas high concentrations had little effect on Proteobacteria. Our study provides valuable insight into the changes in the antibiotic resistome and related microorganisms during vermicomposting of arsenic-amended cow manure, and it is crucial to explain the environmental impact of earthworms and improve our understanding of the reciprocal benefits of soil invertebrates.
Topics: Animals; Female; Cattle; Manure; Arsenic; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Oligochaeta; Soil; Livestock
PubMed: 36361352
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192114475 -
The Science of the Total Environment Sep 2021Additional treatment of wastewater, such as constructed wetlands (CWs), is a possible solution to reduce the discharge of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes...
Additional treatment of wastewater, such as constructed wetlands (CWs), is a possible solution to reduce the discharge of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from households and industry to the environment. This study aims to investigate the occurrence and removal of antibiotics and ARGs by two full scale CWs operated at different hydraulic retention times (HRT), namely 1 day and 3 days. Both CWs were receiving the same wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent. Temporally and spatially distributed sampling of water and sediment was conducted for one year and samples were analyzed for antibiotics and ARGs by using LC-MS/MS and qPCR. Results showed that both CWs removed antibiotics significantly with a comparable overall removal of 28%-100%, depending on the type of antibiotics. However, some of the antibiotics showed higher concentration after the CW treatment. Five antibiotics (tiamulin, tylosin, oxytetracycline, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim) were the most abundant (>1500 ng/l on average) in winter. Meanwhile, ermB was the most abundant (average of 5.0 log) in winter compared to summer (average of 3.5 log). Other ARGs did not show a significant increase or decrease between winter and summer. ARGs were removed from the wastewater by 0.8 to 1.5 log. The HRT did not influence the removal of either the antibiotics or the ARGs. A strong correlation was found between sul genes and intI1. The results also revealed a positive and a negative relationship from sampling point 1 to sampling point 5: a positive relation between abundance of antibiotics, ARGs, and of NO-N, NH-N, TP, COD and a negative relation between antibiotics, ARGs and temperature. This relationship showed the effect between antibiotics and ARGs concentrations with physicochemical parameters and nutrients. The ability of CWs to reduce the input of micropollutants into the environment makes CWs a potential post treatment to WWTP.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Chromatography, Liquid; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Genes, Bacterial; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Waste Disposal, Fluid; Wastewater; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Wetlands
PubMed: 33965831
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147368 -
Nature Communications Feb 2021Antimicrobial resistance is a major global health threat and its development is promoted by antibiotic misuse. While disk diffusion antibiotic susceptibility testing...
Antimicrobial resistance is a major global health threat and its development is promoted by antibiotic misuse. While disk diffusion antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST, also called antibiogram) is broadly used to test for antibiotic resistance in bacterial infections, it faces strong criticism because of inter-operator variability and the complexity of interpretative reading. Automatic reading systems address these issues, but are not always adapted or available to resource-limited settings. We present an artificial intelligence (AI)-based, offline smartphone application for antibiogram analysis. The application captures images with the phone's camera, and the user is guided throughout the analysis on the same device by a user-friendly graphical interface. An embedded expert system validates the coherence of the antibiogram data and provides interpreted results. The fully automatic measurement procedure of our application's reading system achieves an overall agreement of 90% on susceptibility categorization against a hospital-standard automatic system and 98% against manual measurement (gold standard), with reduced inter-operator variability. The application's performance showed that the automatic reading of antibiotic resistance testing is entirely feasible on a smartphone. Moreover our application is suited for resource-limited settings, and therefore has the potential to significantly increase patients' access to AST worldwide.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Artificial Intelligence; Bacterial Infections; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Machine Learning; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Mobile Applications; Smartphone; Software
PubMed: 33608509
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21187-3 -
International Journal of Molecular... Oct 2023Misuse and abuse of antibiotics on humans, cattle, and crops have led to the selection of multi-resistant pathogenic bacteria, the most feared 'superbugs'. Infections... (Review)
Review
Misuse and abuse of antibiotics on humans, cattle, and crops have led to the selection of multi-resistant pathogenic bacteria, the most feared 'superbugs'. Infections caused by superbugs are progressively difficult to treat, with a subsequent increase in lethality: the toll on human lives is predicted to reach 10 million by 2050. Here we review three concepts linked to the growing resistance to antibiotics, namely (i) the , which refers to the collection of bacterial genes that confer resistance to antibiotics, (ii) the , which includes all the mobile genetic elements that participate in the spreading of antibiotic resistance among bacteria by horizontal gene transfer processes, and (iii) the , which refers to the set of genes that are expressed when bacteria try to colonize new niches. We also discuss the strategies that can be used to tackle bacterial infections and propose an with the bacterial world so that instead of war and destruction of the 'fierce enemy' we can achieve a peaceful coexistence (the concept) between the human and the bacterial worlds. This, in turn, will contribute to microbial biodiversity, which is crucial in a globally changing climate due to anthropogenic activities.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Cattle; Bacteria; Genes, Bacterial; Bacterial Infections; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Resistance, Bacterial
PubMed: 37894729
DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015047