Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
203,234 studies31 sourcesUpdated 20 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BYCommunications Medicine

Systematic surveillance of Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales reveals persistent spread of IMP-4 IncM2 plasmids in New Caledonia

  • Alexandre Bourles1
  • Léo Cousin2
  • Gauthier Delvallez2
  • Antoine Biron2
  • Tiffany Ruge2
  • Rémy A. Bonnin3
  • Laurent Dortet3
  • Sylvain Brisse4
  • Federica Palma4
  • Philippe Saliou5
  • Malia Kainiu1
  • Thibaut Objois1
5 more authors
  • Elena Natiello-Menkes1
  • Matthieu Pot1
  • Frederic Veyrier1
  • Cyrille Goarant1
  • Julien Colot1
5 affiliations
  1. 1Medical and Environmental Bacteriology group, Institut Pasteur de Nouvelle-Calédonie
  2. 2Medical Biology Laboratory, Centre Hospitalier Territorial Gaston-Bourret Nouméa
  3. 3INSERM UMR 1184, RESIST Unit, Paris-Saclay University, Faculty of Medicine
  4. 4Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Biological Resources Center of Institut Pasteur
  5. 5ISERM, EFS, UMR 1078, GGB, Infection control unit, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Brest
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

Background: Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) have been designated by the World Health Organization as critical global priority pathogens. Their widespread dissemination and nosocomial outbreaks pose a major public health threat. This study examined the transmission patterns and genetic characteristics of CPE isolated in New Caledonia between 2013 and 2022. Methods: A total of 214 CPE isolates were collected, comprising 199 non-duplicate clinical isolates from 164 patients and 15 environmental isolates from hospital surfaces. Isolates were characterized using phenotypic methods and whole-genome sequencing. Results: Among clinical isolates, the most prevalent genera was Enterobacter (n = 68; 34%) and Klebsiella (n = 50; 25%), with 194 isolates (98%) harbouring IMP-type carbapenemases. WGS of 89 selected CPE revealed the predominance of the bla IMP-4 gene (n = 82; 92%). This gene was primarily associated with IncM2-type plasmids carrying a class 1 integron, identified in 65 sequenced isolates. Long-read sequencing resolved these plasmids into seven distinct variants, differentiated by integron structures and a 9305-bp insertion. Genomic, phenotypic, and epidemiological triangulation have identified 12 hospital spread events, with 10 linked to IMP-4 IncM2 plasmids, whose transferability is confirmed by conjugation assays. Conclusion: These results highlighted the pivotal role of plasmid-mediated dissemination in CPE spread and emphasize the urgency of enhanced surveillance to curb silent transmission. The study provided critical insights for targeted infection control strategies in New Caledonia healthcare system, with broader implications for regional antimicrobial resistance containment.

Related

  1. Prevention of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales outbreaks: evaluation of a simplified contact screening policy
    Jérémy Picard, Nicolas Galakhoff, Raoul Baron +8
    Infection Prevention in PracticePeer-reviewedCC BYFull textInfectious diseaseDOAJEurope PMCEurope PMCPMC
  2. Molecular characterization of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales from Peshawar City, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
    Stefano Mancini, Irfan Ullah, Helena M B Seth-Smith +6
    JAC-antimicrobial resistancePeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMC
  3. Emergence of carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli in acute care hospitals in 32 European countries (the CCRE survey): a prospective, multicentre, cross-sectional, epidemiological, microbiological, and genomic surveillance study
    Sophia David, Anke Kohlenberg, Corin Yeats +80
    The Lancet MicrobePeer-reviewedCC BY8 citedGeneral medicineOpenAlex
  4. Investigation of Carbapenemase Resistance Genes and Plasmid-Mediated Quinolone Resistance Genes in Ceftolozane/Tazobactam-Resistant Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates
    BiomedicinesPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMC
  5. Detection of Carbapenemase-Producing Bacteria by Using an Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method
    Anne Carricajo, Paul Verhoeven, Salim Guezzou +2
    Antimicrobial Agents and ChemotherapyPeer-reviewedLicence not statedFull text18 citedCell biologyMicrobiologyHAL

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{bourles2026systematic,
  title = {{Systematic surveillance of Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales reveals persistent spread of IMP-4 IncM2 plasmids in New Caledonia}},
  author = {Alexandre Bourles and Léo Cousin and Gauthier Delvallez and Antoine Biron and Tiffany Ruge and Rémy A. Bonnin and Laurent Dortet and Sylvain Brisse and Federica Palma and Philippe Saliou and Malia Kainiu and Thibaut Objois and Elena Natiello-Menkes and Matthieu Pot and Frederic Veyrier and Cyrille Goarant and Julien Colot},
  journal = {Communications Medicine},
  year = {2026},
  month = jun,
  doi = {10.1038/s43856-026-01733-0},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-026-01733-0},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Systematic surveillance of Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales reveals persistent spread of IMP-4 IncM2 plasmids in New Caledonia
AU  - Alexandre Bourles
AU  - Léo Cousin
AU  - Gauthier Delvallez
AU  - Antoine Biron
AU  - Tiffany Ruge
AU  - Rémy A. Bonnin
AU  - Laurent Dortet
AU  - Sylvain Brisse
AU  - Federica Palma
AU  - Philippe Saliou
AU  - Malia Kainiu
AU  - Thibaut Objois
AU  - Elena Natiello-Menkes
AU  - Matthieu Pot
AU  - Frederic Veyrier
AU  - Cyrille Goarant
AU  - Julien Colot
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/01
JO  - Communications Medicine
DO  - 10.1038/s43856-026-01733-0
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-026-01733-0
AB  - Background: Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) have been designated by the World Health Organization as critical global priority pathogens. Their widespread dissemination and nosocomial outbreaks pose a major public health threat. This study examined the transmission patterns and genetic characteristics of CPE isolated in New Caledonia between 2013 and 2022. Methods: A total of 214 CPE isolates were collected, comprising 199 non-duplicate clinical isolates from 164 patients and 15 environmental isolates from hospital surfaces. Isolates were characterized using phenotypic methods and whole-genome sequencing. Results: Among clinical isolates, the most prevalent genera was Enterobacter (n = 68; 34%) and Klebsiella (n = 50; 25%), with 194 isolates (98%) harbouring IMP-type carbapenemases. WGS of 89 selected CPE revealed the predominance of the bla IMP-4 gene (n = 82; 92%). This gene was primarily associated with IncM2-type plasmids carrying a class 1 integron, identified in 65 sequenced isolates. Long-read sequencing resolved these plasmids into seven distinct variants, differentiated by integron structures and a 9305-bp insertion. Genomic, phenotypic, and epidemiological triangulation have identified 12 hospital spread events, with 10 linked to IMP-4 IncM2 plasmids, whose transferability is confirmed by conjugation assays. Conclusion: These results highlighted the pivotal role of plasmid-mediated dissemination in CPE spread and emphasize the urgency of enhanced surveillance to curb silent transmission. The study provided critical insights for targeted infection control strategies in New Caledonia healthcare system, with broader implications for regional antimicrobial resistance containment.
SN  - 2730-664X
ER  -