High occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes in intensive aquaculture of hybrid snakehead fish

The increasing abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which are regarded as new pollutants, has raised public health concern. use antibiotics in aquaculture promoted the evolution and spread ARGs. occurrence ARGs attracted extensive attention. However, distribution transmission require further study. This study analyzed water sediment from intensive culture hybrid snakehead fish farm Zhongshan, South China. Twenty-two types were detected all environmental samples. relative sulfonamide ( sul1 sul2 ) was highest, ranging 3.37×10 -2 to 8.53×10 0 copies/16S rRNA gene. High quinolones, phenicols, tetracycline genes, class 1 integrase gene intI1 also observed pond implies that is one main reservoirs origins aquatic environment. Proteobacteria most abundant phylum samples, its ranged 24.05% 41.84%. Network canonical correspondence analyses showed a high int1 , qacEΔ1 aac6 oqxA positively correlated with Cyanobacteria Bacteroidetes Actinobacteria Patescibacteria factors (sulfide, nitrite nitrogen, pH, free chlorine, ammonia nitrogen). These findings demonstrate prevalence persistence farming southern suggests ARG levels microbiological community composition should be conventionally determined assess potential risks health.