A database on the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes across China

The prevalence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) leads to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is a great threat to human health. This database focuses on the spatial and temporal distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in the environment. It integrates ARG abundance data from various habitats (soil, water, air, sediment, and dust) analyzed by high-throughput quantitative polymerase chain reaction and also contains abundance data on mobile genetic elements (MGEs) associated with the transfer of ARGs. The database is comprised of two files, providing ARG abundance and MGE abundance, respectively. A total of 291,870 records on the abundance of 290 ARGs and 8,057 records on the abundance of 30 MGEs from 1,403 samples in 653 sampling sites across 18 provinces in China from 2013 to 2020 are available. The information on the type, resistance mechanism, and health risk of ARGs and the type of MGEs is also given in these two files, respectively. An explanatory note can be downloaded together with the database. The database can provide important information for studies on the dynamics of ARGs and is useful for the health risk assessment of AMR.