Evaluation of an Accelerated Workflow for Surveillance of ESBL (CTX-M)-Producing Escherichia coli Using Amplicon-Based Next-Generation Sequencing and Automated Analysis.

Outbreak management of extended spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL)-producing pathogens requires rapid and accurate diagnosis. However, conventional screening is slow and labor-intensive. The vast majority of the screened samples are negative and detection of non-outbreak-related resistant micro-organisms often complicates outbreak management. In a CTX-M-15-producing Escherichia coli outbreak, 149 fecal samples and rectal eSwabs were collected by a cross-sectional survey in a Dutch nursing home. Samples were processed by routine diagnostic methods. Retrospectively, ESBL-producing bacteria and resistance genes were detected directly from eSwab medium by an accelerated workflow without prior enrichment cultures by an amplicon-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) method, and culture. A total of 27 (18.1%) samples were positive in either test. Sensitivity for CTX-M detection was 96.3% for the phenotypic method and 85.2% for the NGS method, and the specificity was 100% for both methods, as confirmed by micro-array. This resulted in a positive predictive value (PPV) of 100% for both methods, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.2% and 96.8% for the phenotypic method and the NGS method, respectively. Time to result was four days and 14 h for the phenotypic method and the NGS method, respectively. In conclusion, the sensitivity without enrichment shows promising results for further use of amplicon-based NGS for screening during outbreaks.

Use of whole-genome sequencing to trace, control and characterize the regional expansion of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase producing ST15 Klebsiella pneumoniae.

The study describes the transmission of a CTX-M-15-producing ST15 Klebsiella pneumoniae between patients treated in a single center and the subsequent inter-institutional spread by patient referral occurring between May 2012 and September 2013. A suspected epidemiological link between clinical K. pneumoniae isolates was supported by patient contact tracing and genomic phylogenetic analysis from May to November 2012. By May 2013, a patient treated in three institutions in two cities was involved in an expanding cluster caused by this high-risk clone (HiRiC) (local expansion, CTX-M-15 producing, and containing hypervirulence factors). A clone-specific multiplex PCR was developed for patient screening by which another patient was identified in September 2013. Genomic phylogenetic analysis including published ST15 genomes revealed a close homology with isolates previously found in the USA. Environmental contamination and lack of consistent patient screening were identified as being responsible for the clone dissemination. The investigation addresses the advantages of whole-genome sequencing in the early detection of HiRiC with a high propensity of nosocomial transmission and prolonged circulation in the regional patient population. Our study suggests the necessity for inter-institutional/regional collaboration for infection/outbreak management of K. pneumoniae HiRiCs.