Theethawat Jaii Uea-anuwong, PhD student from City University of Hong Kong and member of the Centre for Applied One Health Research and Policy Advice alongside other researchers, published their work on whole-metagenome shotgun sequencing (WMS) to characterize the gut microbiome of 88 wild rats trapped in urban areas, livestock farms, and horse stables.
Among 9,672 identified ARGs, aminoglycosides, macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin, and chloramphenicol were notably more prevalent in rats from livestock farms. High-risk ARGs and plasmid-borne ARGs were also significantly higher in these rats compared to those from other sites. Additionally, various zoonotic antimicrobial-resistant bacteria were detected with certain strains more common in rats from agricultural settings. The findings underscore the role of wild rats as reservoirs and potential spreaders of ARGs and zoonotic pathogens.
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935125013593?via%3Dihub
Congratulations to Theethawat Jaii Uea-anuwong and all the researchers for their work!
