Gomes-Gonçalves Sara, Bento Jaqueline T, Machado Ana, Dudnyk Yevheniia, Shkromada Oksana, Rebenko Halyna, Bordalo Adriano A, Mesquita João R
School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto (UP), 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
CIIMAR-Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Universidade do Porto (UP), 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal.
Antibiotics (Basel). 2025 Sep 8;14(9):907. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics14090907.
: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to public health, food security, and sustainable livestock production. Despite increasing concern, AMR remains poorly studied in cuniculture, particularly in regions where rabbit farming is predominantly small-scale and household-based. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and diversity of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in rabbit farms in northeastern Ukraine. : A total of 100 fecal samples were collected from clinically healthy rabbits housed in two farms and one vivarium. DNA was extracted and analyzed using real-time PCR targeting 21 ARGs associated with resistance to major antibiotic classes, including tetracyclines, sulfonamides, β-lactams, macrolides, quinolones, carbapenems, and multidrug efflux systems. : A diverse and widespread resistome was identified. The most prevalent genes included sul1 (96%), (95%), (94%), and (93%). (78%) and / (approximately 67%) were also frequently detected. Carbapenemase genes (, , ) were identified in 6% of samples, despite limited veterinary use of carbapenems. Notably, 96% of samples harbored ARGs from three or more antibiotic classes, indicating a high potential for multidrug resistance. : The findings demonstrate a high prevalence and diversity of ARGs in rabbit farming systems in northeastern Ukraine. The presence of clinically significant resistance genes, including those conferring carbapenem resistance, underscores the urgent need for targeted AMR surveillance and improved antibiotic stewardship in cuniculture, particularly in regions with minimal regulatory oversight of antimicrobial use.
抗菌药物耐药性（AMR）对公共卫生、食品安全和可持续畜牧业生产构成重大威胁。尽管人们越来越关注，但在养兔业中，AMR的研究仍然很少，特别是在养兔主要以小规模家庭养殖为主的地区。本研究旨在评估乌克兰东北部养兔场中抗菌药物耐药基因（ARGs）的流行情况和多样性。
从两个养殖场和一个动物饲养室的临床健康兔子中总共采集了100份粪便样本。提取DNA并使用实时PCR进行分析，该PCR针对21种与对主要抗生素类别耐药相关的ARGs，包括四环素类、磺胺类、β-内酰胺类、大环内酯类、喹诺酮类、碳青霉烯类和多药外排系统。
鉴定出了一个多样且广泛存在的耐药基因组。最普遍的基因包括sul1（96%）、（95%）、（94%）和（93%）。（78%）和/（约67%）也经常被检测到。尽管碳青霉烯类药物在兽医领域使用有限，但在6%的样本中鉴定出了碳青霉烯酶基因（、、）。值得注意的是，96%的样本含有来自三种或更多抗生素类别的ARGs，这表明存在很高的多药耐药潜力。
研究结果表明，乌克兰东北部养兔系统中ARGs的流行率很高且具有多样性。包括那些赋予碳青霉烯耐药性的临床显著耐药基因的存在，凸显了在养兔业中进行有针对性的AMR监测和改善抗生素管理的迫切需求，特别是在对抗菌药物使用监管最少的地区。
