Prevalence, antibiotic and heavy metal resistance of Vibrio spp. isolated from the clam Meretrix meretrix at different ages in Geligang, Liaohe estuary in China

Vibrio as one of the main pathogens shellfish diseases can cause serious human seafoodborne gastroenteritis and even death. In this study, we analyzed bacterial communities from clam, compared resistance phenotypes genotypes spp. Meretrix meretrix at different growth stages. High-throughput sequencing analysis revealed predominance Proteobacteria (50%) in community was dominant genera clam hepatopancreas summer. abundance positively correlated with water temperature (p<0.05). A total 73 isolates were classified into 19 species strains included V. mediterranei (19%) harveyi (11%), algolyticus (10%), parahaemolyticus (8%). The highest 3-year-old clams other ages Among isolates, 68 resistant to 15 antibiotics except for sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim 57 phenotypes. most prevalent toward clindamycin (76%), followed by amikacin (63%), ampicillin (62%), rifampicin vancomycin (57%), amoxicillin (50%). ARI values ranged 0.13 0.18, (ARI=0.18) are higher than that clam. Approximately 72% showed multidrug-resistant maximum antibiotics. Tolerance heavy metals including Cd, Zn, Cu detected majority antibiotic isolates. addition co-resistance same class antibiotics, cephalosporin (CFP, CEP, CZ) significantly penicillins (AMP, AMC) ( p < 0.01), tetracycline 0.001), sulfanilamide (SXT) 0.01) quinolone (CIP) 0.01). metal genes copB nccA phenotype <0.01). This study habitat is low exposure a link between resistance.