Longitudinal monitoring of sewershed resistomes in socioeconomically diverse urban neighborhoods

A study in Calgary, Canada, explored the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) using spatially-resolved wastewater-based surveillance of resistomes detected by metagenomics across eight socio-economically diverse urban neighborhoods. The study found that wastewater metagenomes from Calgary’s socioeconomically diverse neighborhoods exhibit highly similar resistomes, with no quantitative differences, low Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, and no significant correlations with SES. However, dissimilarity was observed between globally-sourced resistomes, underscoring the homogeneity of resistomes in Calgary’s sub-populations. The analysis of globally-sourced resistomes alongside Calgary’s resistome revealed a lower AMR burden in Calgary compared to other cities worldwide, particularly for the most clinically-relevant AMR genes. This work highlights the effectiveness of inclusive and comprehensive wastewater-based surveillance for exploring the interplay between SES and AMR.