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Human Milk Microbiota: Transferring the Antibiotic Resistome to Infants

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Abstract

Commensal bacterial population is believed to be a reservoir for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The infant gut microbiota has relatively higher abundance of ARGs than the adults. These genes can get transferred from commensals to pathogens by horizontal gene transfer, which magnifies the spectrum of antibiotic resistance in the environment. The presence of ARGs in neo-nates and infants, with no prior antibiotic exposure, questions their origin in the naïve commensal population. Breast milk microbiota that is responsible for the initial seeding of infant gut microbiota has also been found to harbour a vast array of ARGs. This review discusses the recent findings that indicate the potential of breast milk microbiota to act as a vehicle for transmission of ARGs to infants.

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Acknowledgement

UGC-D. S. Kothari Post-doctoral fellowship to LD and CSIR Junior research fellowship to VS are duly acknowledged.

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  1. Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India

    Lahari Das, Richa Virmani, Vishal Sharma, Deepti Rawat & Yogendra Singh

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  1. Lahari Das
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  2. Richa Virmani
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Das, L., Virmani, R., Sharma, V. et al. Human Milk Microbiota: Transferring the Antibiotic Resistome to Infants. Indian J Microbiol 59, 410–416 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-019-00824-y

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