Whole-genome sequencing reveals high-risk clones of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Guangdong, China

Abstract

The ever-increasing prevalence of infections produced by multidrug-resistant or extensively drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa is commonly linked to a limited number of aptly-named epidemical ‘high-risk clones’ that are widespread among and within hospitals worldwide. The emergence of new potential high-risk clone strains in hospitals highlights the need to better and further understand the underlying genetic mechanisms for their emergence and success. P. aeruginosa related high-risk clones have been sporadically found in China, their genome sequences have rarely been described. Therefore, the large-scale sequencing of multidrug-resistance high-risk clone strains will help us to understand the emergence and transmission of antibiotic resistances in P. aeruginosa high-risk clones. In this study, 212 P. aeruginosa strains were isolated from 2 tertiary hospitals within 3 years (2018–2020) in Guangdong Province, China. Whole-genome sequencing, multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were applied to analyze the genomic epidemiology of P. aeruginosa in this region. We found that up to 130 (61.32%) of the isolates were shown to be multidrug resistant, and 196 (92.45%) isolates were Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. MLST analysis demonstrated high diversity of sequence types, and 18 reported international high-risk clones were identified. Furthermore, we discovered the co-presence of exoU and exoS genes in 5 collected strains. This study enhances insight into the regional research of molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance of P. aeruginosa in China. The high diversity of clone types and regional genome characteristics can serve as a theoretical reference for public health policies and help guide measures for the prevention and control of P. aeruginosa resistance.

Activity of Epsilon-poly-L-lysine against Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates of Urinary Tract Infections

“…The STs found in P. aeruginosa have been associated with hospital-acquired infections: ST285, ST274, ST1404, and ST228 have been identified in hospitals in several European countries. The other STs have been reported in hospitals in Brazil, China, the United States, and Saudi Arabia [ 68 ]. Interestingly, we found two new allelic combinations for HU5 and HU6 isolates.…”

Molecular characterization of extensively drug-resistant hypervirulent Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates in China

“…Previous studies have shown mutual exclusion of the exoU and exoS genes [ 33 , 34 ], and exoU -positive strains presented multiple resistance mechanisms and stronger virulence in G. mellonella [ 13 ]. The exoU and/or exoS genes were positive in XDR-hvPA, and two strains co-carried exoU and exoS genes simultaneously, which may increase drug resistance and virulence [ 35 ].…”

Nasal Staphylococcus aureus Carriage and Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles Among Community-Dwelling Adults in Jiangsu, China

“…The results were interpreted on the basis of SIR (S: Sensitive; I: Intermediate; R: Resistant) according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI M100-S32) guidelines. MRSA was defined as S. aureus expressing the mecA gene and/or Phenocillin®, while MDRSA strains were classified as MRSA and any isolates resistant to at least three antimicrobial classes [ 13 ].…”