Antimicrobial resistance landscape in a metropolitan city context using open drain wastewater-based metagenomic analysis

Abstract

AbstractThe One Health concept recognizes the inextricable interactions of the diverse ecosystems and their subsequent effect on human, animal and plant health. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major One Health concern and is predicted to cause catastrophes if appropriate measures are not implemented. In this study, to understand the AMR landscape in metropolitan city context, we performed metagenomic analysis of open drain wastewater samples. We analysed 17 samples from open drains that receive influx from human, animal, agricultural and industrial wastes. Our data suggests that macrolide antibiotics have developed the highest resistance in the city through mutations in the 23S rRNA gene, which is present in multiple pathogens includingEscherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Acinetobacter baumannii, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Klebsiella pneumoniaeandHelicobacter pylori. Except for a few geographical locations, most other locations show a similar landscape for AMR. Considering human mobility and other similar anthropogenic activities, we suggest that such an AMR landscape may be common across other regions.