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Raabe NJ, Valek AL, Griffith MP, Mills E, Waggle K, Srinivasa VR, Ayres AM, Bradford C, Creager HM, Pless LL, Sundermann AJ, Van Tyne D, Snyder GM, Harrison LH. Real-time genomic epidemiologic investigation of a multispecies plasmid-associated hospital outbreak of NDM-5-producing Enterobacterales infections. Int J Infect Dis 2024; 142:106971. [PMID: 38373647 PMCID: PMC11055495 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2024.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) is an emergent mechanism of carbapenem resistance associated with high mortality and limited treatment options. Because the blaNDM resistance gene is often carried on plasmids, traditional infection prevention and control (IP&C) surveillance methods and reactive whole genome sequencing (WGS) may not detect plasmid transfer in multispecies outbreaks. METHODS Initial outbreak detection of NDM-producing Enterobacterales identified at an acute care hospital occurred via traditional IP&C methods and was supplemented by real-time WGS surveillance performed weekly. To resolve NDM-encoding plasmids, we performed long-read sequencing and constructed hybrid assemblies. WGS data for suspected outbreaks was shared with the IP&C team for assessment and intervention. RESULTS We observed a multispecies outbreak of NDM-5-producing Enterobacterales isolated from 15 patients between February 2021 and February 2023. The 19 clinical and surveillance isolates sequenced included 7 bacterial species encoding the same NDM-5 plasmid. WGS surveillance and epidemiologic investigation characterized 10 horizontal plasmid transfer events and 6 bacterial transmission events between patients in varying hospital units. CONCLUSIONS Our investigation revealed a complex, multispecies outbreak of NDM involving multiple plasmid transfer and bacterial transmission events. We highlight the utility of combining traditional IP&C and prospective genomic methods in identifying and containing plasmid-associated outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan J Raabe
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Abby L Valek
- Department of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, UPMC Presbyterian, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Marissa P Griffith
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Emma Mills
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kady Waggle
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Vatsala Rangachar Srinivasa
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ashley M Ayres
- Department of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, UPMC Presbyterian, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Claire Bradford
- Department of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, UPMC Presbyterian, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Hannah M Creager
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lora L Pless
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Alexander J Sundermann
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Daria Van Tyne
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Graham M Snyder
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, UPMC Presbyterian, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lee H Harrison
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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2
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Long DR, Bryson-Cahn C, Waalkes A, Holmes EA, Penewit K, Tavolaro C, Bellabarba C, Zhang F, Chan JD, Fang FC, Lynch JB, Salipante SJ. Contribution of the patient microbiome to surgical site infection and antibiotic prophylaxis failure in spine surgery. Sci Transl Med 2024; 16:eadk8222. [PMID: 38598612 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adk8222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Despite modern antiseptic techniques, surgical site infection (SSI) remains a leading complication of surgery. However, the origins of SSI and the high rates of antimicrobial resistance observed in these infections are poorly understood. Using instrumented spine surgery as a model of clean (class I) skin incision, we prospectively sampled preoperative microbiomes and postoperative SSI isolates in a cohort of 204 patients. Combining multiple forms of genomic analysis, we correlated the identity, anatomic distribution, and antimicrobial resistance profiles of SSI pathogens with those of preoperative strains obtained from the patient skin microbiome. We found that 86% of SSIs, comprising a broad range of bacterial species, originated endogenously from preoperative strains, with no evidence of common source infection among a superset of 1610 patients. Most SSI isolates (59%) were resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic administered during surgery, and their resistance phenotypes correlated with the patient's preoperative resistome (P = 0.0002). These findings indicate the need for SSI prevention strategies tailored to the preoperative microbiome and resistome present in individual patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin R Long
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Chloe Bryson-Cahn
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Adam Waalkes
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Holmes
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Kelsi Penewit
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Celeste Tavolaro
- Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Carlo Bellabarba
- Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Fangyi Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jeannie D Chan
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Pharmacy, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington School of Pharmacy, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
| | - Ferric C Fang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
| | - John B Lynch
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Stephen J Salipante
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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Crisan CV, Van Tyne D, Goldberg JB. The type VI secretion system of the emerging pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia complex has antibacterial properties. mSphere 2023; 8:e0058423. [PMID: 37975665 PMCID: PMC10732056 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00584-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Infections with the opportunistic pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia complex can be fatal for immunocompromised patients. The mechanisms used by the bacterium to compete against other prokaryotes are not well understood. We found that the type VI secretion system (T6SS) allows S. maltophilia complex to eliminate other bacteria and contributes to the competitive fitness against a co-infecting isolate. The presence of T6SS genes in isolates across the globe highlights the importance of this apparatus as a weapon in the antibacterial arsenal of S. maltophilia complex. The T6SS may confer survival advantages to S. maltophilia complex isolates in polymicrobial communities in both environmental settings and during infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian V. Crisan
- Division of Pulmonary, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Emory+Children’s Center for Cystic Fibrosis and Airway Disease Research, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Daria Van Tyne
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joanna B. Goldberg
- Division of Pulmonary, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Emory+Children’s Center for Cystic Fibrosis and Airway Disease Research, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Jauneikaite E, Baker KS, Nunn JG, Midega JT, Hsu LY, Singh SR, Halpin AL, Hopkins KL, Price JR, Srikantiah P, Egyir B, Okeke IN, Holt KE, Peacock SJ, Feasey NA. Genomics for antimicrobial resistance surveillance to support infection prevention and control in health-care facilities. THE LANCET. MICROBE 2023; 4:e1040-e1046. [PMID: 37977161 DOI: 10.1016/s2666-5247(23)00282-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Integration of genomic technologies into routine antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance in health-care facilities has the potential to generate rapid, actionable information for patient management and inform infection prevention and control measures in near real time. However, substantial challenges limit the implementation of genomics for AMR surveillance in clinical settings. Through a workshop series and online consultation, international experts from across the AMR and pathogen genomics fields convened to review the evidence base underpinning the use of genomics for AMR surveillance in a range of settings. Here, we summarise the identified challenges and potential benefits of genomic AMR surveillance in health-care settings, and outline the recommendations of the working group to realise this potential. These recommendations include the definition of viable and cost-effective use cases for genomic AMR surveillance, strengthening training competencies (particularly in bioinformatics), and building capacity at local, national, and regional levels using hub and spoke models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elita Jauneikaite
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK; NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
| | - Kate S Baker
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK; Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Jamie G Nunn
- Infectious Disease Challenge Area, Wellcome Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Li Yang Hsu
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shweta R Singh
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Alison L Halpin
- Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, US Centers for Disease Control And Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Katie L Hopkins
- HCAI, Fungal, AMR, AMU, and Sepsis Division and Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections Reference Unit, UK Health Security Agency, London, UK
| | - James R Price
- Global Health and Infection, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Padmini Srikantiah
- Global Health Division, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Beverly Egyir
- Department of Bacteriology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
| | - Iruka N Okeke
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
| | - Kathryn E Holt
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Department of Infectious Diseases, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Nicholas A Feasey
- Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, UK; Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Research Programme, Chichiri, Blantyre, Malawi
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Raabe NJ, Valek AL, Griffith MP, Mills E, Waggle K, Srinivasa VR, Ayres AM, Bradford C, Creager H, Pless LL, Sundermann AJ, Van Tyne D, Snyder GM, Harrison LH. Genomic Epidemiologic Investigation of a Multispecies Hospital Outbreak of NDM-5-Producing Enterobacterales Infections. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.08.31.23294545. [PMID: 37693518 PMCID: PMC10491379 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.31.23294545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Background New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) represents an emergent mechanism of carbapenem resistance associated with high mortality and limited antimicrobial treatment options. Because the blaNDM resistance gene is often carried on plasmids, traditional infection prevention and control (IP&C) surveillance methods like speciation, antimicrobial resistance testing, and reactive whole genome sequencing (WGS) may not detect plasmid transfer in multispecies outbreaks. Methods Initial outbreak detection of NDM-producing Enterobacterales identified at an acute care hospital occurred via traditional IP&C methods and was supplemented by real-time WGS surveillance, which was performed weekly using the Illumina platform. To resolve NDM-encoding plasmids, we performed long-read Oxford Nanopore sequencing and constructed hybrid assemblies using Illumina and Nanopore sequencing data. Reports of relatedness between NDM-producing organisms and reactive WGS for suspected outbreaks were shared with the IP&C team for assessment and intervention. Findings We observed a multispecies outbreak of NDM-5-producing Enterobacterales isolated from 15 patients between February 2021 and February 2023. The 19 clinical and surveillance isolates sequenced included seven bacterial species and each encoded the same NDM-5 plasmid, which showed high homology to NDM plasmids previously observed in Asia. WGS surveillance and epidemiologic investigation characterized ten horizontal plasmid transfer events and six bacterial transmission events between patients housed in varying hospital units. Transmission prevention focused on enhanced observation and adherence to basic infection prevention measures. Interpretation Our investigation revealed a complex, multispecies outbreak of NDM that involved multiple plasmid transfer and bacterial transmission events, increasing the complexity of outbreak identification and transmission prevention. Our investigation highlights the utility of combining traditional IP&C and prospective genomic methods in identifying and containing plasmid-associated outbreaks. Funding This work was funded in part by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH) (R01AI127472) (R21AI1783691).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan J. Raabe
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, 3507 Victoria Street, BST-10 E1000-4A, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3550 Terrace Street, 818 Scaife Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, 130 De Soto Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Abby L. Valek
- Department of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, UPMC Presbyterian, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
| | - Marissa P. Griffith
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, 3507 Victoria Street, BST-10 E1000-4A, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3550 Terrace Street, 818 Scaife Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Emma Mills
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3550 Terrace Street, 818 Scaife Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Kady Waggle
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, 3507 Victoria Street, BST-10 E1000-4A, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3550 Terrace Street, 818 Scaife Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, 130 De Soto Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Vatsala Rangachar Srinivasa
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, 3507 Victoria Street, BST-10 E1000-4A, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3550 Terrace Street, 818 Scaife Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Ashley M. Ayres
- Department of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, UPMC Presbyterian, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
| | - Claire Bradford
- Department of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, UPMC Presbyterian, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
| | - Hannah Creager
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 200 Lothrop St, S-417 BST, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
| | - Lora L. Pless
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, 3507 Victoria Street, BST-10 E1000-4A, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3550 Terrace Street, 818 Scaife Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Alexander J. Sundermann
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, 3507 Victoria Street, BST-10 E1000-4A, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3550 Terrace Street, 818 Scaife Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Daria Van Tyne
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3550 Terrace Street, 818 Scaife Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
| | - Graham M. Snyder
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3550 Terrace Street, 818 Scaife Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
- Department of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, UPMC Presbyterian, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
| | - Lee H. Harrison
- Microbial Genomic Epidemiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, 3507 Victoria Street, BST-10 E1000-4A, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3550 Terrace Street, 818 Scaife Hall, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, 130 De Soto Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
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6
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Diorio-Toth L, Wallace MA, Farnsworth CW, Wang B, Gul D, Kwon JH, Andleeb S, Burnham CAD, Dantas G. Intensive care unit sinks are persistently colonized with multidrug resistant bacteria and mobilizable, resistance-conferring plasmids. mSystems 2023; 8:e0020623. [PMID: 37439570 PMCID: PMC10469867 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00206-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Contamination of hospital sinks with microbial pathogens presents a serious potential threat to patients, but our understanding of sink colonization dynamics is largely based on infection outbreaks. Here, we investigate the colonization patterns of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) in intensive care unit sinks and water from two hospitals in the USA and Pakistan collected over 27 months of prospective sampling. Using culture-based methods, we recovered 822 bacterial isolates representing 104 unique species and genomospecies. Genomic analyses revealed long-term colonization by Pseudomonas spp. and Serratia marcescens strains across multiple rooms. Nanopore sequencing uncovered examples of long-term persistence of resistance-conferring plasmids in unrelated hosts. These data indicate that antibiotic resistance (AR) in Pseudomonas spp. is maintained both by strain colonization and horizontal gene transfer (HGT), while HGT maintains AR within Acinetobacter spp. and Enterobacterales, independent of colonization. These results emphasize the importance of proactive, genomic-focused surveillance of built environments to mitigate MDRO spread. IMPORTANCE Hospital sinks are frequently linked to outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Here, we used whole-genome sequencing to track the long-term colonization patterns in intensive care unit (ICU) sinks and water from two hospitals in the USA and Pakistan collected over 27 months of prospective sampling. We analyzed 822 bacterial genomes, representing over 100 different species. We identified long-term contamination by opportunistic pathogens, as well as transient appearance of other common pathogens. We found that bacteria recovered from the ICU had more antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in their genomes compared to matched community spaces. We also found that many of these ARGs are harbored on mobilizable plasmids, which were found shared in the genomes of unrelated bacteria. Overall, this study provides an in-depth view of contamination patterns for common nosocomial pathogens and identifies specific targets for surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Diorio-Toth
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Meghan A. Wallace
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Division of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Christopher W. Farnsworth
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Division of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Bin Wang
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Division of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Danish Gul
- Atta ur Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Jennie H. Kwon
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Saadia Andleeb
- Atta ur Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Carey-Ann D. Burnham
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Division of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Gautam Dantas
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Division of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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7
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Evans D, Sundermann A, Griffith M, Rangachar Srinivasa V, Mustapha M, Chen J, Dubrawski A, Cooper V, Harrison L, Van Tyne D. Empirically derived sequence similarity thresholds to study the genomic epidemiology of plasmids shared among healthcare-associated bacterial pathogens. EBioMedicine 2023; 93:104681. [PMID: 37392596 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Healthcare-associated bacterial pathogens frequently carry plasmids that contribute to antibiotic resistance and virulence. The horizontal transfer of plasmids in healthcare settings has been previously documented, but genomic and epidemiologic methods to study this phenomenon remain underdeveloped. The objectives of this study were to apply whole-genome sequencing to systematically resolve and track plasmids carried by nosocomial pathogens in a single hospital, and to identify epidemiologic links that indicated likely horizontal plasmid transfer. METHODS We performed an observational study of plasmids circulating among bacterial isolates infecting patients at a large hospital. We first examined plasmids carried by isolates sampled from the same patient over time and isolates that caused clonal outbreaks in the same hospital to develop thresholds with which horizontal plasmid transfer within a tertiary hospital could be inferred. We then applied those sequence similarity thresholds to perform a systematic screen of 3074 genomes of nosocomial bacterial isolates from a single hospital for the presence of 89 plasmids. We also collected and reviewed data from electronic health records for evidence of geotemporal links between patients infected with bacteria encoding plasmids of interest. FINDINGS Our analyses determined that 95% of analyzed genomes maintained roughly 95% of their plasmid genetic content and accumulated fewer than 15 SNPs per 100 kb of plasmid sequence. Applying these similarity thresholds to identify horizontal plasmid transfer identified 45 plasmids that potentially circulated among clinical isolates. Ten highly preserved plasmids met criteria for geotemporal links associated with horizontal transfer. Several plasmids with shared backbones also encoded different additional mobile genetic element content, and these elements were variably present among the sampled clinical isolate genomes. INTERPRETATION Evidence suggests that the horizontal transfer of plasmids among nosocomial bacterial pathogens appears to be frequent within hospitals and can be monitored with whole genome sequencing and comparative genomics approaches. These approaches should incorporate both nucleotide identity and reference sequence coverage to study the dynamics of plasmid transfer in the hospital. FUNDING This research was supported by the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Evans
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Alexander Sundermann
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Marissa Griffith
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Vatsala Rangachar Srinivasa
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mustapha Mustapha
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jieshi Chen
- Auton Laboratory, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Artur Dubrawski
- Auton Laboratory, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Vaughn Cooper
- Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lee Harrison
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Daria Van Tyne
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Genomic Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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8
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Crisan CV, Van Tyne D, Goldberg JB. The Type VI Secretion System of the Emerging Pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia has Antibacterial Properties. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.30.542968. [PMID: 37398041 PMCID: PMC10312562 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.30.542968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Antagonistic behaviors between bacterial cells can have profound effects on microbial populations and disease outcomes. Polymicrobial interactions may be mediated by contact-dependent proteins with antibacterial properties. The Type VI Secretion System (T6SS) is a macromolecular weapon used by Gram-negative bacteria to translocate proteins into adjacent cells. The T6SS is used by pathogens to escape immune cells, eliminate commensal bacteria, and facilitate infection. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen that causes a wide range of infections in immunocompromised patients and infects the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis. Infections with the bacterium can be deadly and are challenging to treat because many isolates are multidrug-resistant. We found that globally dispersed S. maltophilia clinical and environmental strains possess T6SS genes. We demonstrate that the T6SS of an S. maltophilia patient isolate is active and can eliminate other bacteria. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the T6SS contributes to the competitive fitness of S. maltophilia against a co-infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolate, and that the T6SS alters the cellular organization of S. maltophilia and P. aeruginosa co-cultures. This study expands our knowledge of the mechanisms employed by S. maltophilia to secrete antibacterial proteins and compete against other bacteria. IMPORTANCE Infections with the opportunistic pathogen Stenotrophomonas maltophilia can be fatal for immunocompromised patients. The mechanisms used by the bacterium to compete against other prokaryotes are not well understood. We found that the T6SS allows S. maltophilia to eliminate other bacteria and contributes to the competitive fitness against a co-infecting isolate. The presence of T6SS genes in isolates across the globe highlights the importance of this apparatus as a weapon in the antibacterial arsenal of S. maltophilia . The T6SS may confer survival advantages to S. maltophilia isolates in polymicrobial communities in both environmental settings and during infections.
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Long-Read Whole Genome Sequencing Elucidates the Mechanisms of Amikacin Resistance in Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates Obtained from COVID-19 Patients. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11101364. [PMID: 36290022 PMCID: PMC9598329 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11101364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative, encapsulated, non-motile bacterium, which represents a global challenge to public health as one of the major causes of healthcare-associated infections worldwide. In the recent decade, the World Health Organization (WHO) noticed a critically increasing rate of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae occurrence in hospitals. The situation with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria further worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to an increasing number of patients in intensive care units (ICU) and extensive, while often inappropriate, use of antibiotics including carbapenems. In order to elucidate the ways and mechanisms of antibiotic resistance spreading within the K. pneumoniae population, whole genome sequencing (WGS) seems to be a promising approach, and long-read sequencing is especially useful for the investigation of mobile genetic elements carrying antibiotic resistance genes, such as plasmids. We have performed short- and long read sequencing of three carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates obtained from COVID-19 patients in a dedicated ICU of a multipurpose medical center, which belonged to the same clone according to cgMLST analysis, in order to understand the differences in their resistance profiles. We have revealed the presence of a small plasmid carrying aph(3′)-VIa gene providing resistance to amikacin in one of these isolates, which corresponded perfectly to its phenotypic resistance profile. We believe that the results obtained will facilitate further elucidating of antibiotic resistance mechanisms for this important pathogen, and highlight the need for continuous genomic epidemiology surveillance of clinical K. pneumoniae isolates.
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