High risk of Vibrio pathogen and antibiotic resistance transfer in live seafood wet markets of Shantou, China

Abstract

The global demand for seafood necessitates robust food safety practices, particularly within traditional wet markets. This study investigated the microbiomes of live Japanese mantis shrimp (JMS) and their associated environments (water and biofilm) in local wet markets to assess the risk of pathogen and antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) transfer. Metagenomic analysis showed a significant link between microbiome composition and the type of sample (shrimp, biofilm, and water). While several known human pathogens were associated with shrimp samples, water and biofilm samples exhibited higher abundances of ARGs, suggesting a high risk of pathogen and ARG transfer from the market environment. Notably, this study focused on the diversity and characterization of poorly understood Vibrio species associated with JMS. The prevalence of β-lactam resistance genes in Vibrio isolates, combined with a comparative genomic analysis of several species, highlights this concern. Our study emphasizes the need to improve hygiene practices in wet markets to reduce foodborne illness risks and address antibiotic resistance. This work represents, to our knowledge, the first comparative genomic analysis of Vibrio species in the context of JMS and wet market seafood safety.