Investigating the evolving resistome of different migratory bird species

抗生素耐药性细菌是最紧迫的全球健康问题之一。虽然这个问题部分是由几十年来在医学和兽医领域滥用抗生素造成的，但抗生素的使用本身并不能解释抗生素耐药性现象的所有复杂性。事实上，在没有人类存在的地球仪的许多地区，如北极的某些地区，人们都可以发现耐药性细菌。这怎么解释呢？我们试图通过调查候鸟在抗药性细菌传播中可能发挥的作用来回答这个问题。多年来，我们已经知道许多鸟类携带耐药细菌。由于这些动物在不同的人类密度和暴露于耐药细菌风险的环境之间移动，因此我们有必要问问自己，这些鸟类是否有助于传播抗生素耐药性。为了回答这个问题，我们将研究加拿大各地不同的候鸟物种，以评估它们是否携带耐药性细菌，与鸟类中存在耐药性细菌相关的风险因素是什么，以及细菌中负责抗生素耐药性的基因是否可以传播给人类。

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria represent one of the most pressing global health issues. While this problem is in part caused by decades of antibiotic abuse in the medical and veterinary realms, antibiotic usage alone does not explain all of the complexity of the phenomenon that is antibiotic resistance. Indeed, one can find antibiotic-resistant bacteria in numerous areas of the globe without human presence, such as certain regions of the Arctic. How can one explain this? We attempt to answer this question by investigating the role that migratory birds may play in the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We have known for several years that numerous bird species carry resistant bacteria. And since these animals move between environments with variable human densities and exposure risks to resistant bacteria, it is pertinent to ask ourselves whether these birds may contribute to the dissemination of antibiotic resistance. In order to answer this question, we will study different migratory bird species across Canada to assess whether they carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria, what are the risk factors associated with the presence of resistant bacteria in birds, and whether the genes responsible for antibiotic resistance in bacteria can be transmitted to and from humans.