Captivity and geography influence the antibiotic resistome of non-human primates

Abstract

IntroductionAntibiotic resistance poses a serious threat for animals and humans health worldwide. Yet a comprehensive exploration of the influence of captivity and geography on non-human primate (NPH) gut antibiotic resistance remains incomplete.MethodsIn this study, 131 metagenomic sequencing datasets of five species of NHPs included different regions and lifestyles were selected to perform the antibiotic resistance analysis.ResultsNineteen related resistance antibiotics and 325 antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were obtained. A significantly higher abundance and diversity index of ARGs in the captive NHPs than in the wild was found but not for all of the samples. The biomarker-tracking of ARGs analysis identified key ARGs related to aminoglycoside resistance genes and tetracycline resistance genes.DiscussionThese results suggest that captivity and geography changes associated with human activities can lead to marked changes in the ecology of the NHP gut flora ARGs.