Shared bicycle microbial community: a potential antibiotic-resistant bacteria warehouse

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Public Health
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Shared bicycles are a growing public transportation method globally.
• The bacterial communities and antibiotic resistance profiles on shared bicycles remain largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the bacterial composition of shared bicycles.
• To identify drug-resistant bacteria present on shared bicycles.
• To assess the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in shared bicycle microbiomes.

Main Methods:

• Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for direct observation of bacterial presence.
• Full-length 16S rDNA gene sequencing for bacterial community analysis.
• Culturing techniques to isolate and identify drug-resistant bacteria.

Main Results:

• Bacillus was identified as the most abundant bacterial genus on shared bicycles via SEM and 16S rDNA analysis.
• Bacillus species demonstrated the highest level of drug resistance among the isolated bacteria.
• Resistance to bacitracin and sulfamethoxazole was most frequently detected across various bacterial types.

Conclusions:

• Shared bicycles host a significant bacterial community, with Bacillus being predominant.
• The prevalence of drug-resistant Bacillus on shared bicycles poses a potential public health risk.
• Findings underscore the need for strategies to mitigate the spread of antibiotic resistance via public transportation systems.