Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
206,698 studies31 sourcesUpdated 36 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Microbiology Spectrum

Genomic characterization of a carbapenem-resistant Leclercia adecarboxylata isolate co-harboring blaNDM-7 and blaKPC-4 in a hospitalized patient

  • Tracy H. Hazen1,2,3
  • Gwen L. Robinson4
  • Indira French5
  • Sierra Spindler2
  • Michael S. Humphrys2
  • J. Kristie Johnson3,4,5
  • Surbhi Leekha4
  • L. Leigh Smith4
5 affiliations
  1. 1Center for Advanced Microbiome Research and Innovation, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
  2. 2Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
  3. 3Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
  4. 4Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
  5. 5Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Read full textDOICite

Abstract

Carbapenems are a last-resort treatment for severe infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms. Acquired carbapenemases located on plasmids can be harbored by frequent pathogens as well as opportunistic pathogens such as Leclercia adecarboxylata, which can colonize and cause infections in immunocompromised patients. In this study, we describe a carbapenem-resistant L. adecarboxylata rectal surveillance isolate La1358 from a hospitalized patient in Maryland in 2025. This isolate was obtained during routine rectal swab surveillance to detect drug-resistant organisms colonizing patients in intensive care units (ICUs). This is the first known description of an L. adecarboxylata isolate harboring both blaKPC-4 and blaNDM-7. The blaKPC-4 was identified on an IncFIA(HI1)/repB(R1701) plasmid and blaNDM-7 on an IncX3 plasmid. The blaNDM-7-containing IncX3 plasmid was nearly identical to a plasmid from an Enterobacter hormaechei isolate obtained in 2023 from another patient at the same hospital, demonstrating L. adecarboxylata is contributing to persistence of this plasmid among this patient population. These findings demonstrate that L. adecarboxylata colonizing patients can provide a reservoir of carbapenemases, including blaNDM-7, linking a less common species of Enterobacterales to the increasing prevalence of blaNDM-7 in the United States. Previous L. adecarboxylata isolates, from outside the United States, have been described harboring blaNDM-1; however, to our knowledge, this is the first description of L. adecarboxylata in the United States harboring blaNDM-7, acquired via a conserved IncX3 plasmid. Also, these findings highlight the importance of genomic surveillance to track plasmid-mediated dissemination of acquired carbapenemases among organisms colonizing hospitalized patients, in addition to isolates from clinical specimens associated with infection.

IMPORTANCE: Carbapenem-resistant infections are a serious concern for hospitalized patients and have been increasing in the United States. This has been driven by acquired carbapenemases, in particular blaKPC and blaNDM. A majority of acquired carbapenemases among hospitalized patients are harbored by frequent human pathogens; however, less common Enterobacterales can also acquire and disseminate plasmids harboring blaKPC and blaNDM. This study describes the genome of a blaKPC and blaNDM-containing Leclercia adecarboxylata isolate, an opportunistic human pathogen, identified colonizing a hospitalized patient. International L. adecarboxylata isolates have been described harboring blaNDM-1; however, to our knowledge, this represents the first description of L. adecarboxylata harboring blaNDM-7, which is a blaNDM variant becoming more prevalent in the United States. These findings highlight the importance of genomic surveillance of drug-resistant organisms colonizing hospitalized patients to identify and disrupt reservoirs and transmission pathways linked to the spread and persistence of carbapenem resistance in hospitals.

Related

  1. Clinical Interpretation of Repeated Isolation of Leclercia adecarboxylata from Sputum Specimens in an Elderly Patient with Limited Systemic Inflammatory Response: A Case Report.
    Pengfei Zhang, Lili Wei, Yaozhi Qi +1
    Infection and drug resistancePeer-reviewedCC BY-NCFull textEndocrinology & metabolismEurope PMC
  2. Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Isolation and In-Hospital Mortality in Adults Hospitalized with COVID-19 in Romania: A Retrospective Single-Center Cohort Study
    Cristiana Georgeta Bujor, Marilena Dinuti, Felicia Sfrijan
    Journal of Clinical MedicinePeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0General medicineCrossref
  3. Outcomes of empirical ceftazidime avibactam plus colistin versus colistin regimens in carbapenem resistant gram negative infection under diagnostic uncertainty
    Jamil Muqtadir, Irshad Batool, Sameeullah Bhatti +4
    Scientific ReportsPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Full textGeneral medicineCrossref
  4. L-histidine metabolic reprogramming is associated with imipenem-relebactam resistance in carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae
    Jun Li, Haolan Wang, Yuyao Wang +6
    Scientific ReportsPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0General medicineCrossref
  5. Outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in post–haematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients potentially caused by drinking water contamination
    Xiaoyu Luo, Yinghua Zhang, Shihui Guo +6
    Infection prevention in practicePeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMC

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{hazen2026genomic,
  title = {{Genomic characterization of a carbapenem-resistant Leclercia adecarboxylata isolate co-harboring blaNDM-7 and blaKPC-4 in a hospitalized patient}},
  author = {Tracy H. Hazen and Gwen L. Robinson and Indira French and Sierra Spindler and Michael S. Humphrys and J. Kristie Johnson and Surbhi Leekha and L. Leigh Smith},
  journal = {Microbiology Spectrum},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.1128/spectrum.01568-26},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.01568-26},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Genomic characterization of a carbapenem-resistant Leclercia adecarboxylata isolate co-harboring blaNDM-7 and blaKPC-4 in a hospitalized patient
AU  - Tracy H. Hazen
AU  - Gwen L. Robinson
AU  - Indira French
AU  - Sierra Spindler
AU  - Michael S. Humphrys
AU  - J. Kristie Johnson
AU  - Surbhi Leekha
AU  - L. Leigh Smith
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/29
JO  - Microbiology Spectrum
DO  - 10.1128/spectrum.01568-26
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.01568-26
AB  - Carbapenems are a last-resort treatment for severe infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms. Acquired carbapenemases located on plasmids can be harbored by frequent pathogens as well as opportunistic pathogens such as Leclercia adecarboxylata, which can colonize and cause infections in immunocompromised patients. In this study, we describe a carbapenem-resistant L. adecarboxylata rectal surveillance isolate La1358 from a hospitalized patient in Maryland in 2025. This isolate was obtained during routine rectal swab surveillance to detect drug-resistant organisms colonizing patients in intensive care units (ICUs). This is the first known description of an L. adecarboxylata isolate harboring both blaKPC-4 and blaNDM-7. The blaKPC-4 was identified on an IncFIA(HI1)/repB(R1701) plasmid and blaNDM-7 on an IncX3 plasmid. The blaNDM-7-containing IncX3 plasmid was nearly identical to a plasmid from an Enterobacter hormaechei isolate obtained in 2023 from another patient at the same hospital, demonstrating L. adecarboxylata is contributing to persistence of this plasmid among this patient population. These findings demonstrate that L. adecarboxylata colonizing patients can provide a reservoir of carbapenemases, including blaNDM-7, linking a less common species of Enterobacterales to the increasing prevalence of blaNDM-7 in the United States. Previous L. adecarboxylata isolates, from outside the United States, have been described harboring blaNDM-1; however, to our knowledge, this is the first description of L. adecarboxylata in the United States harboring blaNDM-7, acquired via a conserved IncX3 plasmid. Also, these findings highlight the importance of genomic surveillance to track plasmid-mediated dissemination of acquired carbapenemases among organisms colonizing hospitalized patients, in addition to isolates from clinical specimens associated with infection.  IMPORTANCE: Carbapenem-resistant infections are a serious concern for hospitalized patients and have been increasing in the United States. This has been driven by acquired carbapenemases, in particular blaKPC and blaNDM. A majority of acquired carbapenemases among hospitalized patients are harbored by frequent human pathogens; however, less common Enterobacterales can also acquire and disseminate plasmids harboring blaKPC and blaNDM. This study describes the genome of a blaKPC and blaNDM-containing Leclercia adecarboxylata isolate, an opportunistic human pathogen, identified colonizing a hospitalized patient. International L. adecarboxylata isolates have been described harboring blaNDM-1; however, to our knowledge, this represents the first description of L. adecarboxylata harboring blaNDM-7, which is a blaNDM variant becoming more prevalent in the United States. These findings highlight the importance of genomic surveillance of drug-resistant organisms colonizing hospitalized patients to identify and disrupt reservoirs and transmission pathways linked to the spread and persistence of carbapenem resistance in hospitals.
SN  - 2165-0497
ER  -