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Zoo gut plastispheres enable pathogen escape and adaptation

Zipei Luo1, Yilun Liu1, Haimei Wu1

  • 1National Engineering Laboratory of Applied Technology for Forestry & Ecology in South China, and Laboratory of Urban Forest Ecology of Hunan Province; Department of Ecology and Environment, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan Province 410004, China.

The ISME Journal
|August 5, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Microplastics (MPs) in zoo animals form gut biofilms that enrich pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes. These "plastispheres" persist in water, potentially spreading harmful microbes from zoos into ecosystems.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Microbiology
  • Veterinary Science

Background:

  • Intensive human contact and artificial feeding in zoos can lead to microplastic (MP) ingestion by animals.
  • Ingested MPs may form intestinal plastispheres, potentially increasing pathogenic risks and environmental persistence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if ingested MPs in zoo animals create intestinal plastispheres with elevated pathogenic potential and environmental persistence.
  • To analyze MP abundance, polymer types, and associated microbial communities in feces from various zoo species.

Main Methods:

  • Fecal samples from 15 zoo species were analyzed for MPs.
  • Intestinal simulations, metagenomic sequencing, and aquatic exposure experiments were conducted.
  • Particle characterization and biofilm composition were examined.

Main Results:

  • Zoo animal feces had higher MP abundance than wild counterparts, with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polystyrene (PS) fragments dominating.
  • MP-associated biofilms showed enrichment of pathogenic taxa, virulence factors, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs).
  • MP-associated microbial communities persisted longer in aquatic environments compared to non-plastic particles.

Conclusions:

  • Intestinal MPs in zoo animals can select for and export high-risk microbiomes, including pathogens and ARGs.
  • Plastispheres promote microbial persistence, posing a risk for spreading these communities into adjacent ecosystems.
  • Mitigation of MPs and evidence-based zoo management are crucial for environmental and animal health.
Keywords:
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)Pathogen adaptationPlastisphereZoo gut microbiome

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