Whole-genome analysis of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium causing nosocomial outbreaks suggests the occurrence of few endemic clonal lineages in Bavaria, Germany

2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 1398-1404 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Eisenberger ◽  
Christian Tuschak ◽  
Markus Werner ◽  
Christian Bogdan ◽  
Thomas Bollinger ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives Infections caused by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) represent a major public health concern due to limited treatment options. Among invasive isolates of VREfm, ST117, ST80 and ST78 represent the most frequently detected STs by MLST in Germany. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity of isolates of VREfm recovered from different nosocomial outbreaks in Bavaria, Germany, by WGS. Methods Between January 2018 and April 2019, 99 non-replicate isolates of VREfm originating from nosocomial outbreaks at eight different hospitals in Bavaria were investigated for genetic diversity by WGS. In detail, complex types (CTs) were identified by core-genome MLST. Furthermore, an SNP analysis was performed for all VREfm strains. Results Most of the isolates of this study (76%) belonged to three major clonal groups, which occurred in at least three hospitals: ST80/CT1065 vanB (n = 45; six hospitals), ST117/CT71 vanB (n = 11; four hospitals) and ST78/CT894like vanA (n = 19; three hospitals). Moreover, isolates of the predominant lineage ST80/CT1065 vanB showed a maximum difference of 36 SNPs as revealed by SNP analysis. Conclusions Whole-genome analysis of VREfm causing nosocomial outbreaks suggests the occurrence of few endemic clonal lineages in Bavarian hospital settings, namely ST80/CT1065 vanB, ST117/CT71 vanB and ST78/CT894like vanA. Further studies are needed for a better understanding of the factors affecting the successful spread of the above-mentioned lineages.

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (10) ◽  
pp. 5777-5786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mónica García-Solache ◽  
Francois Lebreton ◽  
Robert E. McLaughlin ◽  
James D. Whiteaker ◽  
Michael S. Gilmore ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe transfer of DNA betweenEnterococcus faeciumstrains has been characterized both by the movement of well-defined genetic elements and by the large-scale transfer of genomic DNA fragments. In this work, we report on the whole-genome analysis of transconjugants resulting from mating events between the vancomycin-resistantE. faeciumC68 strain and the vancomycin-susceptible D344RRF strain to discern the mechanism by which the transferred regions enter the recipient chromosome. Vancomycin-resistant transconjugants from five independent matings were analyzed by whole-genome sequencing. In all cases but one, the penicillin binding protein 5 (pbp5) gene and the Tn5382vancomycin resistance transposon were transferred together and replaced the correspondingpbp5region of D344RRF. In one instance, Tn5382inserted independently downstream of the D344RRFpbp5gene. Single nucleotide variant (SNV) analysis suggested that entry of donor DNA into the recipient chromosome occurred by recombination across regions of homology between donor and recipient chromosomes, rather than through insertion sequence-mediated transposition. The transfer of genomic DNA was also associated with the transfer of C68 plasmid pLRM23 and another putative plasmid. Our data are consistent with the initiation of transfer by cointegration of a transferable plasmid with the donor chromosome, with subsequent circularization of the plasmid-chromosome cointegrant in the donor prior to transfer. Entry into the recipient chromosome most commonly occurred across regions of homology between donor and recipient chromosomes.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimon Lemonidis ◽  
Talal S. Salih ◽  
Stephanie J. Dancer ◽  
Iain S. Hunter ◽  
Nicholas P. Tucker

AbstractMulti-locus sequencing typing (MLST) is widely used to monitor the phylogeny of microbial outbreaks. However, several strains of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) with a missing MLST locus (pstS) have recently emerged in Australia, with a few cases also reported in England. Here, we identified similarly distinct strains circulating in two closely located hospitals in Scotland. Whole genome sequencing of five VREfm strains isolated from these hospitals identified four pstS-null strains across both hospitals, while the fifth was of a multi-locus sequence type (ST) 262, which is the first documented in the UK. All five Scottish isolates had an insertion in the tetM gene, which is associated with increased susceptibility to tetracyclines, providing no other tetracycline-resistant gene is present. Such an insertion, which encompasses a dfrG gene and two currently uncharacterised genes, was additionally identified in all tested VanA-type pstS-null VREfm strains (5 English and 18 Australian). Phylogenetic comparison with other VREfm genomes indicates that the four pstS-null Scottish isolates sequenced in this study are more closely related to pstS-null strains from Australia rather than the English pstS-null isolates. Given how rapidly such pstS-null strains have expanded in Australia, the emergence of this clone in Scotland raises concerns for a potential outbreak.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1631
Author(s):  
Sergei Raev ◽  
Anton Yuzhakov ◽  
Taras Aliper

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the causative agent of porcine circovirus-associated diseases (PCVAD) that bring about significant economic losses in the pig industry all over the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic diversity of PCV2 in Russia and characterize the available complete genome sequences. PCV2 DNA was detected at all investigated farms located in different regions of Russia. Whole-genome analysis demonstrated that the majority of PCV2 strains belonged to genotype PCV2d (12 out of 14), while PCV2a and PCV2b were only detected at 2 farms (one at each). Further analysis revealed that all antibody recognition sites in Russian PCV2 strains were different from the corresponding epitopes in a PCV2a vaccine strain, suggesting that PCV2a-based vaccines may only provide limited protection against these strains. PCV2d strains could be grouped into 3 distinct lines which shared 98.7–100% identity within open reading frame 2 (ORF2). It is the first study reporting the genetic diversity of PCV2 strains in Russia. Our data indicated that, similarly to China, Europe, and USA, PCV2a and PCV2b have largely been replaced by PCV2d.


2017 ◽  
Vol 50 ◽  
pp. 38-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mika Ito ◽  
Moegi Kuroda ◽  
Tsuneyuki Masuda ◽  
Masataka Akagami ◽  
Kei Haga ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Gorrie ◽  
Charlie Higgs ◽  
Glen Carter ◽  
Timothy P. Stinear ◽  
Benjamin Howden

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) is a globally significant public health threat and was listed on the World Health Organization’s 2017 list of high-priority pathogens for which new treatments are urgently needed. Treatment options for invasive VREfm infections are very limited, and outcomes are often poor. Whole-genome sequencing is providing important new insights into VREfm evolution, drug resistance and hospital adaptation, and is increasingly being used to track VREfm transmission within hospitals to detect outbreaks and inform infection control practices. This mini-review provides an overview of recent data on the use of genomics to understand and respond to the global problem of VREfm.


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