Escherichia coli high-risk clone ST410 harboring bla NDM-13 isolated from hospital wastewater in China

Abstract

A carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli strain C-SRM-3 was isolated from hospital wastewater effluent in Hangzhou city, China in March 2022. Analysis of the whole genome sequence showed that this bla NDM-13-positive strain belonged to an internationally recognized high-risk clone ST410 responsible for the dissemination of carbapenem resistance in E. coli. This isolate displayed a multidrug-resistant phenotype and carried a cassette of antibiotic-resistant genes. bla NDM-13 gene was successfully transferred to the recipient E. coli C600 via conjugation. WGS results revealed that bla NDM-13 gene was located on an IncI1 type plasmid replicon. The phylogenetic reconstruction showed that wastewater-sourced C-SRM-3 strain was located in a single branch, far removed from human-derived and animal-sourced isolates. The detection of bla NDM-13 in hospital wastewater suggests that continuous monitoring of antibiotic-resistant genes in the environment is critical for the prevention of carbapenem-resistant bacteria spreading.