Metagenomic assessment of the diversity and ubiquity of antimicrobial resistance genes in Bangladeshi aquaculture ponds

In Bangladesh, fish provide over 60% of animal-source food with 56.2% this coming from aquaculture produced predominantly in rural freshwater ponds. Increasing demand for products is driving intensification and resulting higher disease prevalence, posing a risk to security. Biosecurity often absent practices Bangladesh antibiotics are commonly used treat prevent outbreaks. Antibiotics administered incorrectly - key factor associated the development antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR can be disseminated rapidly within microbial ecosystems via mobile genetic elements, humans animals infected pathogens as treatments become ineffective. Early detection understanding spread genes (ARGs) critical both security, human health protection safety. Here, we apply metagenomic approach assess ARG composition pond water six finfish (tilapia pangasius) farms Mymensingh division North-central Bangladesh. We found communities ponds had similar alpha beta diversities, multiple ARGs predicted confer eighteen different classes antimicrobials. The most common conferred aminoglycosides sulphonamides were present taxa pathogens. This diversity potentially confers wide variety antibiotic questions effectiveness current future treatment diseases earthen compositions between each farm similar, which may relate parallels farming creating selection pressures thus comparable populations. Without more controlled towards usage, will inevitably further exacerbate challenges treating preventing outbreaks production intensifies