Antimicrobial resistance of swine gut isolates

The widespread use of antimicrobials in the livestock industry has raised global concerns regarding the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Comprehensive databases of ARGs specific to different farm animal species can greatly improve the surveillance of ARGs within the agri-food sector and beyond. In particular, defining the association of ARGs with mobile genetic elements (MGEs) - the primary agents responsible for the spread and acquisition of resistant phenotypes among bacterial populations - could help assess the transmissibility potential of clinically relevant ARGs. Recognizing the gut microbiota as a vast reservoir of ARGs, we aimed to generate a representative isolate collection and genome database of the swine gut microbiome, enabling high-resolution characterization of ARGs in relation to bacterial host range and their association with MGEs.