Vassallo Alberto, Kett Steve, Purchase Diane, Marvasi Massimiliano
School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy.
Department of Natural Sciences, Middlesex University London, London NW4 4BT, UK.
Antibiotics (Basel). 2022 Apr 12;11(4):512. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics11040512.
Cities that are densely populated are reservoirs of antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs). The overall presence of all resistance genes in a specific environment is defined as a resistome. Spatial proximity of surfaces and different hygienic conditions leads to the transfer of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) within urban environments. Built environments, public transportation, green spaces, and citizens' behaviors all support persistence and transfer of antimicrobial resistances (AMR). Various unique aspects of urban settings that promote spread and resilience of ARGs/ARB are discussed: (i) the role of hospitals and recreational parks as reservoirs; (ii) private and public transportation as carriers of ARGs/ARB; (iii) the role of built environments as a hub for horizontal gene transfer even though they support lower microbial biodiversity than outdoor environments; (iv) the need to employ ecological and evolutionary concepts, such as modeling the fate of a specific ARG/ARB, to gain enhanced health risk assessments. Our understanding and our ability to control the rise of AMR in an urban setting is linked to our knowledge of the network connecting urban reservoirs and the environment.
人口密集的城市是抗生素抗性基因（ARGs）的储存库。特定环境中所有抗性基因的总体存在情况被定义为抗性组。表面的空间 proximity 和不同的卫生条件导致城市环境中抗生素抗性细菌（ARB）的转移。建筑环境、公共交通、绿地和市民行为都支持抗菌抗性（AMR）的持续存在和转移。本文讨论了城市环境中促进 ARGs/ARB 传播和恢复力的各种独特方面：（i）医院和休闲公园作为储存库的作用；（ii）私人和公共交通作为 ARGs/ARB 的载体；（iii）建筑环境作为水平基因转移中心的作用，尽管它们支持的微生物生物多样性低于室外环境；（iv）需要运用生态和进化概念，如对特定 ARG/ARB 的命运进行建模，以加强健康风险评估。我们对城市环境中 AMR 上升的理解以及控制能力与我们对连接城市储存库和环境的网络的了解有关。
