Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36864573›Full record

Observational studyJournal of travel medicine2023

Alterations in faecal microbiome and resistome in Chinese international travellers: a metagenomic analysis.

Man Kit Cheung, Rita W Y Ng, Christopher K C Lai, Chendi Zhu, Eva T K Au, Jennifer W K Yau, Carmen Li, Ho Cheong Wong, Bonnie C K Wong, Kin On Kwok and 4 more

Open access · hybridAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Journal of travel medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Man Kit CheungDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.ORCID 0000-0002-2764-2113
Rita W Y NgDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Christopher K C LaiDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Chendi ZhuDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Eva T K AuUniversity Health Service, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Jennifer W K YauDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Carmen LiDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Ho Cheong WongUniversity Health Service, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Bonnie C K WongDepartment of Medicine & Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Kin On KwokThe Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Zigui ChenDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Paul K S ChanDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Grace C Y LuiDepartment of Medicine & Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Margaret IpDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Department of Health · CNChinese University of Hong Kong · HKHong Kong Polytechnic University · HK

Funding

Food and Health Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China 18170082Health and Medical Research FundThe Chinese University of Hong Kong
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInternational travel increases the risk of acquisition of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Previous studies have characterized the changes in the gut microbiome and resistome of Western travellers; however, information on non-Western populations and the effects of travel-related risk factors on the gut microbiome and resistome remains limited.

methodsWe conducted a prospective observational study on a cohort of 90 healthy Chinese adult residents of Hong Kong. We characterized the microbiome and resistome in stools collected from the subjects before and after travelling to diverse international locations using shotgun metagenomic sequencing and examined their associations with travel-related variables.

resultsOur results showed that travel neither significantly changed the taxonomic composition of the faecal microbiota nor altered the alpha (Shannon) or beta diversity of the faecal microbiome or resistome. However, travel significantly increased the number of ARGs. Ten ARGs, including aadA, TEM, mgrB, mphA, qnrS9 and tetR, were significantly enriched in relative abundance after travel, eight of which were detected in metagenomic bins belonging to Escherichia/Shigella flexneri in the post-trip samples. In sum, 30 ARGs significantly increased in prevalence after travel, with the largest changes observed in tetD and a few qnrS variants (qnrS9, qnrS and qnrS8). We found that travel to low- or middle-income countries, or Africa or Southeast Asia, increased the number of ARG subtypes, whereas travel to low- or middle-income countries and the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer (ABHS) or doxycycline as antimalarial prophylaxis during travel resulted in increased changes in the beta diversity of the faecal resistome.

conclusionsOur study highlights travel to low- or middle-income countries, Africa or Southeast Asia, a long travel duration, or the use of ABHS or doxycycline as antimalarial prophylaxis as important risk factors for the acquisition/enrichment of ARGs during international travel.

Indexed as

FecesMicrobiotaAdultAnti-Bacterial AgentsAntimalarialsDoxycyclineDrug Resistance, BacterialEast Asian PeopleHumansAnti-Bacterial AgentsAntimalarialsDoxycyclinealcohol-based hand sanitizerantibiotic resistance genesantimalarial prophylaxisantimicrobial resistancedoxycyclinegut microbiomeHong Kong

Identifiers

PMID36864573
PMCPMC10628765
OpenAlexW4323036929

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.