Aircraft Wastewater as a Sentinel for Transboundary Antimicrobial Resistance: An Integrated Genomic Approach

Abiola Senok; Rashed Alghafri; Douha Shouqair; Subham Verma; Lobna Mohammed; Mohammed Naji; Abdulla Albastaki; Rania Nassar; Dean Everett; Richard Goering; Mushtaq Khan

doi:10.3390/microorganisms14091988

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Aircraft Wastewater as a Sentinel for Transboundary Antimicrobial Resistance: An Integrated Genomic Approach

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Aircraft Wastewater as a Sentinel for Transboundary Antimicrobial Resistance: An Integrated Genomic Approach

Abiola Senok, Rashed Alghafri, Douha Shouqair, Subham Verma, Lobna Mohammed, Mohammed Naji, Abdulla Albastaki, Rania Nassar, Dean Everett, Richard Goering, …

Microorganisms (Basel), Vol.14(9), p.1988

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14091988

PMID: 42795569

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Abstract

metagenome-assembled genomes

antimicrobial resistance

aircraft wastewater

transboundary surveillance

Background: Aircraft wastewater (AWW) provides a composite environmental matrix reflecting passengers from diverse geographic origins and may serve as a surveillance tool for AMR monitoring. Objectives: To characterize microbial community composition, antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), virulence factor genes (VFGs), and genome-resolved features of AWW. Methods: Samples (N = 10) were collected from long-haul flights arriving in the UAE between October 2024 and February 2025. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing and high-throughput quantitative PCR (HT-qPCR) were performed. Metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) were reconstructed. Results: Shotgun metagenomics identified 752 bacterial species dominated by gut-associated families, including Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae. A total of 345 ARGs were detected, with tetracycline resistance genes being most abundant. Regional variation in resistome composition was supported by permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA, p = 0.010), and principal coordinate analysis indicated separation by flight-origin region. MAG reconstruction recovered 1012 genomes, with 85.4% resolved to species level. MAG-based annotation identified 280 VFGs corresponding to 116 non-redundant virulence genes. HT-qPCR confirmed the widespread presence of key ARG classes and mobile genetic elements across samples, in keeping with metagenomic findings. Conclusions: AWW contains diverse microbial communities and AMR determinants. Genome-resolved analysis provided organism-level context for resistome and virulome characterization, confirming AWW as an environmental matrix for monitoring transboundary AMR dynamics.

Details

Title: Aircraft Wastewater as a Sentinel for Transboundary Antimicrobial Resistance: An Integrated Genomic Approach
Authors/Creators: Abiola Senok - Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences
Rashed Alghafri
Douha Shouqair - Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences
Subham Verma - Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences
Lobna Mohammed - Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences
Mohammed Naji
Abdulla Albastaki
Rania Nassar - Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences
Dean Everett - Khalifa University of Science and Technology
Richard Goering - Creighton University
Mushtaq Khan - United Arab Emirates University
Publication Details: Microorganisms (Basel), Vol.14(9), p.1988
Publisher: MDPI
Grant note: AJF-NIH-1-MBRU / This work was funded by Grant# AJF-NIH-1-MBRU as part of the UAE-NIH Collaborative Re-search Initiative (UAE-NIH-CRI) which comprises four collaborating UAE institutes: Al Jalila Foundation, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences,
Identifiers: 991005917858707891
Murdoch Affiliation: Harry Butler Institute
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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