Genomic characterization of extended‐spectrum beta‐lactamase‐producing and carbapenem‐resistant Escherichia coli from urban wastewater in Australia

Abstract

Funding informationNo funding information provided. | INTRODUCTIONEscherichia coli is a versatile bacterial species in the family Enterobacteriaceae and comprises strains that are harmless inhabitants, as well as pathogenic variants capable of causing intestinal or extraintestinal infections in humans and animals (Kaper et al., 2004;Sarowska et al., 2019). E. coli strains that are resistant to multiple antibiotic classes, including last-resort carbapenems and polymyxins, are increasing worldwide (WHO, 2014), leaving fewer or sometimes no effective antibiotics for treatment. This may cause increased hospitalization rates, morbidity, mortality, and treatment costs (Batalla-Bocaling et al., 2021;Magiorakos et al., 2012). The most common resistance mechanism in E. coli is the production of different β-lactamases that render these organisms resistant to clinically important β-lactam antibiotics such as penicillins, cephalosporins, and carbapenems (Nordmann & Poirel, 2019; Peirano & Pitout, 2019). The cefotaximase-Munich (CTX-M)-type extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL), cephamycinase (CMY)-type AmpC β-lactamases, and imipenemase (IMP)-, Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemases-, New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)-, and oxacillinase-48 (OXA-48)-type carbapenemases are the most clinically relevant β-lactamases associated with healthcare-and community-acquired infections around the globe (Boyd et al., 2020;