Effects of environmental disinfection on microbial population and resistance genes: A case study of the microecology within a panda enclosure

Widespread use of disinfectants raises concerns over their involvement in altering microbial communities and promoting antimicrobial resistance. This study explores the influence of disinfection protocols on microbial populations and resistance genes within an isolated enclosure environment and in the gut of giant pandas (GPs) held within. Samples of panda feces, air conditioning ducts, soil and bamboo were collected before and after disinfection. High-throughput sequencing characterized the microbial flora of GP gut and environmental microbes inside the artificial habitat. Microbial cultures showed that Escherichia coli (34.6%), Enterococcus (15.4%) and other pathogenic bacteria deposited in feces and the enclosure. Isolates exhibit a consistent resistance to disinfectant, with the greatest resistance shown to cyanuric acid, and the lowest to glutaraldehyde-dodecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide (GD-DDAB) and dodecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide (DDAB). The total number of the culturable bacteria in soil and bamboo were significantly diminished after disinfection but increased in the gut. After disinfection, the richness (Chao1 index) of environment samples increased significantly (P