Empirically derived sequence similarity thresholds to study the genomic epidemiology of plasmids shared among healthcare-associated bacterial pathogens.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Healthcare-associated bacterial pathogens frequently carry plasmids that contribute to antibiotic resistance and virulence. The horizontal transfer of plasmids in healthcare settings has been previously documented, but genomic and epidemiologic methods to study this phenomenon remain underdeveloped. The objectives of this study were to apply whole-genome sequencing to systematically resolve and track plasmids carried by nosocomial pathogens in a single hospital, and to identify epidemiologic links that indicated likely horizontal plasmid transfer.

Methods

We performed an observational study of plasmids circulating among bacterial isolates infecting patients at a large hospital. We first examined plasmids carried by isolates sampled from the same patient over time

SUBMITTER: Evans D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10338199 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature