Genomic Characterization of MDR Escherichia coli Harboring blaOXA-48 on the IncLM-type Plasmid Isolated from Blood Stream Infection

Abstract EN

Escherichia coli is responsible for a wide variety of community and hospital acquired extraintestinal infections, and the emergence of ESBL resistant isolates is a major clinical concern.

In this study, we characterized the genomic attributes of an OXA-48 and CTX-M-3 producing E.

coli EC-IMP153.

Whole-genome initial assembly produced 146 contigs with a combined 5,504,170 bp in size and a G+C content of 50.5%.

wgSNPs-based phylogenetic comparison with 36 publically available genomes was also performed.

Comprehensive genomic analysis showed that EC-IMP153 belonged to sequence type ST-405 and harbored several resistance determinants including the β-lactam resistance genes blaOXA-48, blaCTX-M-3, blaTEM-1B, blaOXA-1, and blaCMY-70, aminoglycoside fyuA and aac(3)IId, tetracycline tet(A) and tet(R), and fluoroquinolone gyrA, parC, and mfd resistance determinants.

Plasmids with the following incompatibility groups were detected in silico and confirmed using PBRT: IncI1-α, IncL, IncW, Col (BS512), and IncF.

To our knowledge this is the first in-depth genomic analysis of an OXA-48 producing E.

coli ST-405 isolated from a patient in Lebanon and linked to a blood stream infection.

Continuous monitoring is necessary to better understand the continued diffusion of such pathogens, especially in view of the population movements triggered by unrest in the Middle East.