ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Antimicrobials, Resistance and Chemotherapy
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1575426
This article is part of the Research Topic Leveraging Real-Time Genomic Surveillance to Combat Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Resistance View all 3 articles
Genomic Epidemiology of Antimicrobial Resistance Determinants in Chinese Swine Farm Escherichia coli Isolates
Provisionally accepted
Zizhe Hu 1 Yee Huang 1 Xuemei Cui 1 Tuan-yuan Shi 1 Quanan Ji 1 Xiangru Wang 2* Guolian Bao 1* Yan Liu 1*- 1 Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- 2 Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
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The extensive use of antimicrobials in pig farming has led to a significant emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among microorganisms. Given China's prominent position as the leading global swine producer, AMR in pig farming has become a focal point of debates. However, limited research has comprehensively assessed the overall status of AMR in Chinese pig farms. To overcome this limitation, we conducted a national surveillance study on Escherichia coli harboring antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in pig farm slurry across China. We collected 227 slurry samples from 52 pig farms located across 31 provinces in seven geographical regions of China. Ultimately, we isolated 142 E. coli strains and obtained their phenotype and genome data through antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole genome sequencing, revealing resistance to 28 antimicrobials. Moreover, multilocus sequence typing revealed the widespread distribution of ST10 and ST641 isolates, which were found to carry numerous ARGs and virulence factor genes, including blaNDM-1, mcr-1.1, and blaOXA-10, among others. Notably, multiple ARGs were co-located on a single plasmid, and an analysis of the genetic context revealed insertion sequences adjacent to ARGs containing various mobile genetic elements. Conjugation experiments provided additional evidence for the horizontal dissemination of these ARGs. The release of E. coli into the environment via farm slurry comprises a significant emerging contaminant and a potential hazard to public health. Consequently, there is an urgent need to establish universally recognized farm effluent standards for monitoring the dissemination of resistant bacteria and ARGs in China's pig farms.
Keywords: Pig farms, Escherichia coli, antimicrobial resistance, Epidemiology, whole genome sequencing, horizontal transfer of ARGs
Received: 12 Feb 2025; Accepted: 20 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Hu, Huang, Cui, Shi, Ji, Wang, Bao and Liu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Xiangru Wang, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei Province, China
Guolian Bao, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
Yan Liu, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China
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