Genomic Characterization of Carbapenem-Resistant <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> ST1440 and <i>Serratia marcescens</i> Isolates from a COVID-19 ICU Outbreak in Ecuador.

ABSTRACT: The global rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to a surge in infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. A key driver of this phenomenon is co-selection, where exposure to one antimicrobial promotes resistance to others via horizontal gene transfer (HGT) mediated by mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, known for their genomic plasticity, are particularly worrisome; yet genomic data from Latin America-especially Ecuador-remain scarce. This study investigated four carbapenem-resistant clinical isolates (two Klebsiella pneumoniae ST1440 and two Serratia marcescens) from tracheal aspirates of three ICU patients during a COVID-19 outbreak at Hospital IESS Quito Sur, Ecuador. Phenotyp

SUBMITTER: Tisalema-Guanopatin E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12566427 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature