Captivity and geography influence the antibiotic resistome of non-human primates

INTRODUCTION: Antibiotic resistance poses a serious threat for animals and humans health worldwide. Yet a comprehensive exploration of the influence of captivity and geography on non-human primate (NPH) gut antibiotic resistance remains incomplete. METHODS: In this study, 131 metagenomic sequencing datasets of five species of NHPs included different regions and lifestyles were selected to perform the antibiotic resistance analysis. RESULTS: Nineteen related resistance antibiotics and 325 antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were obtained. A significantly higher abundance and diversity index of ARGs in the captive NHPs than in the wild was found but not for all of the samples. The biomarker-tracking of ARGs analysis identified key ARGs related to aminoglycoside resistance genes and tetracycline resistance genes. DISCUSSION: These results suggest that captivity and geography changes associated with human activities can lead to marked changes in the ecology of the NHP gut flora ARGs.