Genetic Plurality of OXA/NDM-Encoding Features Characterized From Enterobacterales Recovered From Czech Hospitals

Abstract

The aim of this study was to characterize fourEnterobacteralesco-producing NDM- and OXA-48-like carbapenemases from Czech patients with travel history or/and previous hospitalization abroad.Klebsiella pneumoniaeisolates belonged to “high risk” clones ST147, ST11, and ST15, while theEscherichia coliisolate was assigned to ST167. All isolates expressed resistance against most β-lactams, including carbapenems, while retaining susceptibility to colistin. Furthermore, analysis of WGS data showed that all four isolates co-produced OXA-48- and NDM-type carbapenemases, in different combinations (Kpn47733:blaNDM–5+blaOXA–181; Kpn50595:blaNDM–1+blaOXA–181; Kpn51015:blaNDM–1+blaOXA–244; Eco52418:blaNDM–5+blaOXA–244). In Kpn51015, theblaOXA–244was found on plasmid p51015_OXA-244, while the respective gene was localized in the chromosomal contig ofE. coliEco52418. On the other hand,blaOXA–181was identified on a ColKP3 plasmid in isolate Kpn47733, while ablaOXA–181-carrying plasmid being an IncX3-ColKP3 fusion was identified in Kpn50595. TheblaNDM–1gene was found on two different plasmids, p51015_NDM-1 belonging to a novel IncH plasmid group and p51015_NDM-1 being an IncFK1-FIB replicon. Furthermore, theblaNDM–5was found in two IncFII plasmids exhibiting limited nucleotide similarity to each other. In both plasmids, the genetic environment ofblaNDM–5was identical. Finally, in all four carbapenemase-producing isolates, a diverse number of additional replicons, some of these associated with important resistance determinants, likeblaCTX–M–15,arr-2andermB, were identified. In conclusion, this study reports the first description of OXA-244-producingEnterobacteralesisolated from Czech hospitals. Additionally, our findings indicated the genetic plurality involved in the acquisition and dissemination of determinants encoding OXA/NDM carbapenemases.