Whole Genome Sequencing of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacter hormaechei Isolated from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala (India)

Abstract

The rapid emergence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae is a critical public health issue across the globe. Widespread antibiotic resistance to multiple drugs has been reported in clinical isolates of Enterobacter hormaechei. In the present investigation, we report the whole genome sequencing (WGS) of a multi-drug resistant (MDR), clinical strain of E. hormaechei, GC26 isolated from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala (India). Using the Oxford Nanopore sequencing platform, we identified key drug-resistance genes (bla, tet, armA, qnrB, and fos) and virulence genes (fimD, csgD, csgE, csgF, and csgG) in GC26. Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) analysis of GC26 revealed a novel sequence type (ST*ba28). Phylogenetic analysis showed that the GC26 genome occupies a distinct branch within the Enterobacter genus, closely related to Indian strains of E. hormaechei rather than the global population. This study provides valuable insights into the genetic basis of multidrug resistance in E. hormaechei. These findings underscore the critical need for continuous monitoring and robust epidemiological surveillance of MDR E. hormaechei strains.