Raw camel milk is generally contaminated with varied microbiota, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), that can act as a potential pathway for the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In this study, high-throughput quantitative PCR and 16S rRNA gene-based Illumine sequencing data were used to establish a comprehensive understanding of the antibiotic resistome and its relationship with the bacterial community in Bactrian camel milk from Xinjiang. A total of 136 ARGs and up to 1.33 × 108 total ARG copies per gram were identified, which predominantly encode resistance to β-lactamas and multidrugs. The ARGs' profiles were mainly explained by interactions between the bacteria community and physicochemical indicators (77.9%). Network analysis suggested that most ARGs exhibited co-occurrence with Corynebacterium, Leuconostoc and MGEs. Overall, raw camel milk serves as a reservoir for ARGs, which may aggravate the spread of ARGs through vertical and horizontal gene transfer in the food chain.
Keywords: antibiotic resistance genes; bacteria community; high–throughput qPCR; network analysis; raw camel milk.