Diet and environmental factors jointly drive the gut microbiome, resistome, and virulome of urban bats

TL;DR

Urban bats' gut microbes and antibiotic/virulence genes are shaped by diet and environment, not host traits, highlighting public health risks.

Contribution

Identifies diet and environmental factors as key drivers of gut microbiome, resistome, and virulome in urban bats.

Findings

Feces of V. sinensis contain diverse ARGs and VFGs with limited evidence of horizontal mobility.

Environmental changes and diet influence ARG and VFG profiles through the microbiome.

Host traits like sex and age have no significant impact on gut microbiota or resistome.

Abstract

The coexistence and horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factor genes (VFGs) carried by urban wildlife represent an emerging form of biological pollution, constituting a significant threat to public health. We employed meta-omic approaches to evaluate the effects of host traits (sex, age, etc.), environmental factors (including geographical location and time), and diet (including food composition and antibiotic residues) on the bacterial, ARG, and VFG profiles of Vespertilio sinensis, an urban-dwelling bat. Our results demonstrate that the feces of V. sinensis harbor diverse ARGs and VFGs, but their genomic evidence for horizontal mobility in bacterial communities is limited. Notably, environmental changes over time and across geographical locations are associated with the ARG and VFG profiles, potentially due to the influence of pollutants in specific habitats. Dietary factors are associated with their dynamics through the microbiome, with antibiotic residues exerting selective pressure on ARG profiles. No significant impacts of sex, age, body size, and reproductive status on the gut microbiota, resistome, or virulome were observed. This study provides valuable insights into the ecological drivers of the gut microbiome, resistome, and virulome in bats, thereby contributing to our understanding of the public health risks associated with urban wildlife.

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