Association of colistin residues and manure treatment with the abundance of mcr-1 gene in swine feedlots.

Background: The extensive use of colistin in swine production may have contributed to the recent emergence of corresponding mobile resistance gene mcr-1. The use of colistin as a feed additive was banned in China in April 2017.

Objectives: To examine the occurrence of colistin and dissemination of mcr-1 in swine feedlots before and after the colistin ban and effects of different manure treatments.

Methods: Environmental samples were collected from swine feedlots before (December 2016) and after (December 2017) the colistin ban. Colistin concentrations were determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. The prevalence of mcr-1 were determined by quantitative PCR analysis, while bacterial community composition was investigated by 16S rRNA sequencing.

Results: In 2016, colistin was detected in feed and fresh manure samples at 67 mg/kg and 17 mg/kg, respectively, but was absent from all samples in 2017. In 2016, the relative abundance of mcr-1 in fresh manure was lower than that in solid samples after natural drying, while a higher relative abundance was detected in fresh manure samples compared with biogas slurry samples. A strong correlation between colistin concentration and relative abundance of mcr-1 was observed in fresh manure. The samples collected in 2017 showed a lower relative abundance of mcr-1 compared with those collected in 2016. Bacterial community analysis showed that the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae, which act as a vehicle and reservoir of mcr-1, increased with natural dying but decreased with anaerobic digestion.

Conclusions: The presence of colistin exerts direct selection pressure for the accumulation of mcr-1 in manure, while the ban on colistin likely halted the dissemination of mcr-1 on pig farms. Anaerobic digestion is an effective waste treatment process for removing mcr-1, which might be mainly driven by the shift in bacterial community structure.