Kamau E, Jones B, Kitjawat T, Youn H, Schweikert M, Caldwell A, Harens C, Kiernan P, Velasco J, Lebreton F, Copeland N. Front. Microbiol. Sec. Infectious Agents and Disease. Provisionally accepted.
Highlights:
- Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on 10 extensively drug-resistant (XDR) aeruginosa isolates to investigate potential healthcare-associated transmission within a U.S. military treatment facility, assess its environmental persistence, and determine its genomic relatedness to global strains.
- Two isolates were from an index patient with prior hospitalisation in the Philippines, 4 from a secondary patient in the same ICU, and 4 environmental isolates from the index patient’s room sink, collected 9 months later.
- The 6 clinical isolates and the 4 environmental isolates indicated high genetic relatedness.
- Global phylogenetic analysis showed close clustering with similar strains from the Philippines.
- The isolates carried the blaVIM-2 carbapenemase gene and exhibited resistance to all tested antibiotics.
- WGS surveillance revealed an undetected intra-hospital transmission of XDR aeruginosa serotype 235 and its persistence in the environment for at least 9 months.
- The findings underscore the importance of genomic surveillance in identifying AMR outbreaks, especially among patients returning from high-risk regions, and proactive infection control measures to prevent the spread of high-risk AMR clones in healthcare settings.
