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Hygiene may attenuate selection for antibiotic resistance by changing microbial community structure.

ABSTRACT: Good hygiene, in both health care and the community, is central to containing the rise of antibiotic resistance, as well as to infection control more generally. But despite the well-known importance, the ecological mechanisms by which hygiene (or other transmission control measures) affect the evolution of resistance remain to be elucidated. Using metacommunity ecology theory, we here propose that hygiene attenuates the effect of antibiotic selection pressure. Specifically, we predict that hygiene limits the scope for antibiotics to induce competitive release of resistant bacteria within treated hosts, and that this is due to an effect of hygiene on the distribution of resistant and sensitive strains in the host population. We show this in a mathematical model of bacterial metacommunity dynamics, and test the results against data on antibiotic resistance, antibiotic treatment, and the use of alcohol-based hand rub in long-term care facilities. The data are consistent with hand rub use attenuating the resistance promoting effect of antibiotic treatment. Our results underscore the importance of hygiene, and point to a concrete way to weaken the link between antibiotic use and increasing resistance.

SUBMITTER: Aspenberg M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9847546 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Hygiene may attenuate selection for antibiotic resistance by changing microbial community structure.

Aspenberg Magnus M Maad Sasane Sara S Nilsson Fredrik F Brown Sam P SP Wollein Waldetoft Kristofer K

Evolution, medicine, and public health 20230118 1

Good hygiene, in both health care and the community, is central to containing the rise of antibiotic resistance, as well as to infection control more generally. But despite the well-known importance, the ecological mechanisms by which hygiene (or other transmission control measures) affect the evolution of resistance remain to be elucidated. Using metacommunity ecology theory, we here propose that hygiene attenuates the effect of antibiotic selection pressure. Specifically, we predict that hygie ...[more]

PMID: 36687161

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Project description:Organic fertilizer is a major carrier that stores and transmits antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In the environment, due to the application of organic fertilizers in agriculture, the increasing diversity and abundance of ARGs poses a potential threat to human health and environmental safety. In this paper, the microbial community structure and ARGs in different types of organic fertilizer treated with composting were examined. We found that the abundance and diversity of ARGs in earthworm cast organic fertilizer were the lowest and the highest in chicken manure organic fertilizer. Interestingly, the abundance and diversity of ARGs, especially beta-lactam resistance genes, sulfonamide resistance genes, and macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLSB) resistance genes, in organic fertilizers were reduced significantly, while composting caused no significant change in mobile genetic elements (MGEs), where antibiotic deactivation and the use of efflux pumps were the two most dominant mechanisms. It was clear that removal of ARGs became more efficient with increasing reduction in the bacterial abundances and diversity of potential ARG hosts, and integron-mediated horizontal gene transfers (HGTs) played an important role in the proliferation of most ARG types. Therefore, the reduction in ARGs was mainly driven by changes in bacterial community composition caused by composting. Furthermore, rather than HGTs, the diversity and abundance of bacterial communities affected by compost physical and chemical properties were the main drivers shaping and altering the abundance and diversity of ARGs, which was indicated by a correlation analysis of these properties, antibiotic residues, microbial community structure, and ARGs. In general, high-temperature composting effectively removed antibiotic residues and ARGs from these organic fertilizers; however, it cannot prevent the proliferation of MGEs. The insights gained from these results may be of assistance in the safe and rational use of organic fertilizers by indicating the changes in microbial community structure and ARGs in different types of organic fertilizer treated with composting.

Dataset Information

Hygiene may attenuate selection for antibiotic resistance by changing microbial community structure.

Publications

Hygiene may attenuate selection for antibiotic resistance by changing microbial community structure.

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