A metagenomic survey reveals widespread antibiotic resistance genes in honey bee (Apis mellifera) gut bacteria across the United States.

Widespread antibiotic resistance genes are present in honey bee gut bacteria across the United States, with 55 unique ARGs detected in samples from 13 apiaries.

• Why it matters: Understanding ARG distribution in honey bee microbiomes is important because it reflects environmental and anthropogenic influences on antibiotic resistance spread, which has implications for global health.
• What they did: Metagenomic sequencing was used to analyze honey bee gut bacteria from 13 apiaries across the USA, identifying ARGs conferring resistance to 14 antibiotic classes, including 11 multidrug resistance genes.
• The result: ARGs varied among sites and bacterial genera, with tetracycline resistance genes, especially tetB and tetM, present in all hives and showing geographic variation, notably declining in tetB abundance from Washington to Virginia.