Antibiotic resistance in amerindian gut microbiome
Extended-spectrum b-lactamase resistance carriage effect on gut microbiota                 in an isolated Amerindian population
The increase of multi-resistant bacteria is a major medical issue. Many                 of the problems associated to antibiotic resistance depend on the spread among                 natural human intestinal populations of particular “high-risk” bacteria able to                 recruit genetic elements encoding antibiotic resistance, and possibly with high                 host-to-host transmission rates. In order to study the acquisition and spread of                 antibiotic resistance in an isolated population, we studied an Amerindian population                 located in a small village in the Amazon rain-forest (French Guyana) where the                 unique source of antibiotics is the dispensary of the village. We have tested the                 fecal samples from 150 individuals, representing 70% of the population, for the                 presence of Enterobacteria resistant to third generation cephalosporin, where we                 found that 8 individuals have acquired the resistance in a period of 4 years. In                 order to determine the possible origin of the resistances as well as the effect on                 the intestinal microbiota, we have studied the total and active microbiota in those                 eight individuals as well as in never-colonized controls, both close relatives                 living in the same hut and from other families. The main conclusion is that the                 microbiota composition is rather uniform in all the individuals analyzed, probably                 reflecting a similar fiber-rich diet regime. However, a specific effect of the                 resistance genes on the active bacteria cannot be ruled out.
The increase of multi-resistant bacteria is a major medical issue. Many                 of the problems associated to antibiotic resistance depend on the spread among                 natural human intestinal populations of particular “high-risk” bacteria able to                 recruit genetic elements encoding antibiotic resistance, and possibly with high                 host-to-host transmission rates. In order to study the acquisition and spread of                 antibiotic resistance in an isolated population, we studied an Amerindian population                 located in a small village in the Amazon rain-forest (French Guyana) where the                 unique source of antibiotics is the dispensary of the village. We have tested the                 fecal samples from 150 individuals, representing 70% of the population, for the                 presence of Enterobacteria resistant to third generation cephalosporin, where we                 found that 8 individuals have acquired the resistance in a period of 4 years. In                 order to determine the possible origin of the resistances as well as the effect on                 the intestinal microbiota, we have studied the total and active microbiota in those                 eight individuals as well as in never-colonized controls, both close relatives                 living in the same hut and from other families. The main conclusion is that the                 microbiota composition is rather uniform in all the individuals analyzed, probably                 reflecting a similar fiber-rich diet regime. However, a specific effect of the                 resistance genes on the active bacteria cannot be ruled out.