Vancomycin gene selection in the microbiome of urban Rattus norvegicus from hospital environment

TY - JOUR

T1 - Vancomycin gene selection in the microbiome of urban Rattus norvegicus from hospital environment

AU - Hansen, Thomas Arn

AU - Joshi, Tejal

AU - Larsen, Anders Rhod

AU - Andersen, Paal Skytte

AU - Harms, Klaus

AU - Mollerup, Sarah

AU - Willerslev, Eske

AU - Fuursted, Kurt

AU - Nielsen, Lars Peter

AU - Hansen, Anders Johannes

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - Background and objectives: Widespread use of antibiotics has resulted in selection pressure on genes that make bacteria non-responsive to antibiotics. These antibiotic-resistant bacteria are currently a major threat to global health. There are various possibilities for the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes. It has been argued that animal vectors such as Rattus norvegicus (R. norvegicus) living in hospital sewage systems are ideal for carrying pathogens responsible for fatal diseases in humans. Methodology: Using a metagenomic sequencing approach, we investigated faecal samples of R. norvegicus from three major cities for the presence of antibiotic resistance genes. Results: We show that despite the shared resistome within samples from the same geographic locations, samples from hospital area carry significantly abundant vancomycin resistance genes. Conclusions and implications: The observed pattern is consistent with a selection for vancomycin genes in the R. norvegicus microbiome, potentially driven by the outflow of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria into the wastewater systems. Carriage of vancomycin resistance may suggest that R. norvegicus is acting as a reservoir for possible transmission to the human population.

AB - Background and objectives: Widespread use of antibiotics has resulted in selection pressure on genes that make bacteria non-responsive to antibiotics. These antibiotic-resistant bacteria are currently a major threat to global health. There are various possibilities for the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes. It has been argued that animal vectors such as Rattus norvegicus (R. norvegicus) living in hospital sewage systems are ideal for carrying pathogens responsible for fatal diseases in humans. Methodology: Using a metagenomic sequencing approach, we investigated faecal samples of R. norvegicus from three major cities for the presence of antibiotic resistance genes. Results: We show that despite the shared resistome within samples from the same geographic locations, samples from hospital area carry significantly abundant vancomycin resistance genes. Conclusions and implications: The observed pattern is consistent with a selection for vancomycin genes in the R. norvegicus microbiome, potentially driven by the outflow of antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria into the wastewater systems. Carriage of vancomycin resistance may suggest that R. norvegicus is acting as a reservoir for possible transmission to the human population.

U2 - 10.1093/emph/eow021

DO - 10.1093/emph/eow021

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 27412864

SN - 2050-6201

VL - 2016

SP - 219

EP - 226

JO - Evolution, Medicine and Public Health

JF - Evolution, Medicine and Public Health

IS - 1

ER -