Tracking Enterobacteria, microbiomes, and antibiotic resistance genes from waste to soil with repeated compost applications

What is it about?

Antibiotic resistance is a growing threat to global health. One significant way this resistance spreads is through the environment, particularly via the use of animal and human waste as fertilisers in agriculture. These organic amedments can contain resistant bacteria and their genes. Our research, conducted for the first time in the tropical soils of Guadeloupe, focused on the impact of composting these wastes and their repeated application on farmlands. Our aim was to understand how these practices affect the presence of antibiotic resistance genes and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (specifically Enterobacteria) in agricultural soils used for vegetable production.

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Photo by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on Unsplash

Photo by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases on Unsplash

Why is it important?

We discovered that the composting process can reduce the presence of certain potentially problematic bacteria (such as Escherichia and Shigella) originating from poultry droppings. However, the abundance of some antibiotic resistance genes can vary: whilst some may decrease, others might actually increase after composting. In addition, the repeated application of these composts to the soil alters the bacterial community composition and influences the quantity of antibiotic resistance genes present in Guadeloupe's tropical vegetable production soils.

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