Plasmid prevalence is independent of antibiotic resistance in environmental Enterobacteriaceae

This study reveals that antibiotic-susceptible Enterobacteriaceae strains often carry numerous plasmids, even without containing resistance genes. By sequencing over 200 environmental isolates, researchers found no link between the number of large plasmids and antibiotic susceptibility or the ability to acquire new plasmids. These results show that plasmids are widespread in susceptible bacteria and may serve as hidden reservoirs, ready to capture and spread antibiotic resistance genes in the future.