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A meta-analysis of genomic data on infant gut microbiomes from 10 countries indicates that cesarean (C-section) delivery, antibiotic use, and prematurity are associated with increased gut carriage of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in infants, according to a study that will be presented at the upcoming European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Global Congress in Barcelona Spain.
The study, led by researchers from the Arctic University of Norway-Tromso, looked at 14 studies that included 3,981 gut metagenome fecal samples from 1,275 infants in 10 countries. Their aim was to determine gut carriage of ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and evaluate the impact of birth mode, antibiotic use, prematurity, and feeding practices on the infant gut resistome (the collection of ARGs in the genomes of infant gut microbes) and mobilome (the collection of MGEs). Previous studies have found that antibiotic use in preterm infants is associated with reduced diversity of gut bacteria compared with healthy infants.
Reduced bacterial diversity, more resistance genes
Overall, the researchers found 199 clinically relevant ARGs, whose diversity increased with age during the first 2 years of life. When compared with full-term, vaginally born infants not exposed to antibiotics, premature infants delivered by C-section and administered antibiotics had reduced beneficial gut microbe diversity but a higher abundance of ARGs and MGEs. Formula feeding versus breastfeeding had no significant effect on ARG diversity or abundance.
Studies that included infants from South Africa and Zimbabwe found a statistically significant and higher ARG and MGE abundance compared with European infants.
The researchers also found that Enterobacterales, specifically Escherichia coli, were key contributors to ARG load.
While many gut microbes carrying ARGs don't pose a health threat, the presence of MGEs indicates the potential for sharing ARGs with pathogenic bacteria.
"This has important implications for the antibiotic resistance crisis," lead study author Ahmed Bargheet, PhD, said in an ESCMID press release. "By gaining insight into these factors, we aim to develop targeted interventions like probiotics, that could significantly reduce the number of deaths caused by antimicrobial resistance."