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

Thomas Arn Hansen1, Tejal Joshi2, Anders Rhod Larsen3

  • 1Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK-1350, Denmark;

Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health
|July 15, 2016
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Rats in hospital sewage carry antibiotic resistance genes, particularly vancomycin resistance. This suggests rats may act as reservoirs for transmitting these genes to humans, posing a significant public health risk.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental microbiology
  • Genomics
  • Public health

Background:

  • Antibiotic resistance is a global health threat driven by widespread antibiotic use.
  • Animal vectors, like rats (Rattus norvegicus), in hospital sewage may facilitate the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and abundance of ARGs in the fecal samples of Rattus norvegicus from urban environments.
  • To determine if hospital environments contribute to the selection and carriage of specific ARGs in rats.

Main Methods:

  • Metagenomic sequencing was employed to analyze fecal samples from R. norvegicus.
  • Samples were collected from rats in three major cities to assess geographic variations.

Main Results:

  • A shared resistome was observed within samples from the same geographic locations.
  • Significantly higher abundance of vancomycin resistance genes was detected in samples from hospital areas.

Conclusions:

  • The findings suggest a selection pressure favoring vancomycin resistance genes in the R. norvegicus microbiome, likely due to antibiotic contamination in wastewater.
  • Rattus norvegicus may serve as a reservoir for vancomycin resistance genes, potentially transmitting them to the human population.
Keywords:
Rattusantibioticsmetagenomicsratsselectionvanbvancomycinwild

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