Zoonotic pathogen-driven antibiotic resistance emerges in urban soils: A large-scale study in 13 cities across China

Land-use changes drive the microbial community and associated soil resistome. Enrichment of risk antibiotic resistance genes (risk ARGs) is related to 4.95 million deaths across the globe each year, rendering them an urgent threat to human health. To provide better understanding of distribution patterns of risk ARGs and their key biotic/abiotic drivers across land-use systems, we used soil eDNA combined with an ARGs annotation pipeline and ARGs risk assessment list to assess ARGs risks in three human-dominated systems (farmlands, parks and residential areas) and natural forests across thirteen cities in China. Compared to forests, farmlands and parks, residential areas contained a markedly higher diversity of risk ARGs and virulence factors. This study indicates human activity intensity primarily enriched risk ARGs by promoting MGEs richness and relative abundance of potential zoonotic pathogens. In addition, the essential drivers affecting risk ARGs differed in a system-specific manner, with pathogens and soil nutrient level being the most important positive drivers of risk ARGs in highly managed urban systems (residential areas). Our research emphasizes practical approaches to mitigate the risk of ARG dissemination by reducing zoonotic pathogens in urban green spaces within highly urbanized areas, for which benefits the implementation of the One Health framework.