Genomic characterization of multidrug-resistant clinical Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from a hospital in Paraguay

Acinetobacter baumannii is a clinically important pathogen capable of causing serious nosocomial infections and acquiring resistance to antimicrobials, particularly carbapenems, making treatment difficult and prolonging hospital stays. In Latin America, high carbapenem-resistance rates have been des...

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Main Authors: Sandra Sánchez-Urtaza, Laura Alfonso-Alarcón, Rocío Arazo del Pino, Tessa Burgwinkel, Alain Ocampo-Sosa, Ruth Gonzalez, Kyriaki Xanthopoulou, Paul G. Higgins, Itziar Alkorta, Lucia Gallego
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Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1620479/full
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author Sandra Sánchez-Urtaza
Sandra Sánchez-Urtaza
Laura Alfonso-Alarcón
Rocío Arazo del Pino
Rocío Arazo del Pino
Tessa Burgwinkel
Tessa Burgwinkel
Alain Ocampo-Sosa
Ruth Gonzalez
Kyriaki Xanthopoulou
Kyriaki Xanthopoulou
Paul G. Higgins
Paul G. Higgins
Itziar Alkorta
Lucia Gallego
author_facet Sandra Sánchez-Urtaza
Sandra Sánchez-Urtaza
Laura Alfonso-Alarcón
Rocío Arazo del Pino
Rocío Arazo del Pino
Tessa Burgwinkel
Tessa Burgwinkel
Alain Ocampo-Sosa
Ruth Gonzalez
Kyriaki Xanthopoulou
Kyriaki Xanthopoulou
Paul G. Higgins
Paul G. Higgins
Itziar Alkorta
Lucia Gallego
author_sort Sandra Sánchez-Urtaza
collection DOAJ
description Acinetobacter baumannii is a clinically important pathogen capable of causing serious nosocomial infections and acquiring resistance to antimicrobials, particularly carbapenems, making treatment difficult and prolonging hospital stays. In Latin America, high carbapenem-resistance rates have been described among A. baumannii isolates, however, Paraguay is one of the countries with limited data in this regard. Therefore, we aimed to investigate resistance rates of A. baumannii isolates from the National Hospital of Itaugua (NHI), Paraguay, from their database of 2022, and from December 2023 to February 2024, and to study in detail a representative group of multidrug-resistant clinical isolates. For this purpose, data were analyzed considering diagnostic, sample type and antimicrobial susceptibility. Eight A. baumannii isolates recovered from patients in six separate ICUs in 2024 were then selected and subjected to susceptibility testing using VITEK® and to short- and long-read sequencing, and clonality, resistome, virulome and plasmidome of the isolates were investigated. IC2 (ST2 Pasteur, ST1816/195 Oxford and ST872 Oxford) was the predominant clone among the Paraguayan isolates, and a single isolate belonging to clone IC5 (ST79 Pasteur and ST1283 Oxford) was also identified. The carbapenemase gene blaOXA-23 was located in transposons Tn2006 and Tn2008. Additionally, other antibiotic resistance genes conferring resistance to aminoglycosides, macrolides, sulfonamides, chloramphenicol, tetracyclines and trimethoprim were identified, and were found embedded in genetic environments containing mobile genetic elements. Multiple virulence genes were also detected, mainly promoting biofilm formation and immune system modulation. Plasmid analysis showed the presence of plasmids ranging in size from 2.27 to 10.74 Kb. This work describes the dissemination of the emerging clone IC2 in Paraguay and offers a detailed analysis of the resistome, virulome and plasmidome of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains. The results obtained highlight the importance of correctly characterizing these multidrug-resistant pathogens to develop infection prevention and control strategies at hospital level.
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spelling doaj-art-52438829dca1401b89bda898d9dce16f2025-08-20T03:31:38ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology2235-29882025-07-011510.3389/fcimb.2025.16204791620479Genomic characterization of multidrug-resistant clinical Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from a hospital in ParaguaySandra Sánchez-Urtaza0Sandra Sánchez-Urtaza1Laura Alfonso-Alarcón2Rocío Arazo del Pino3Rocío Arazo del Pino4Tessa Burgwinkel5Tessa Burgwinkel6Alain Ocampo-Sosa7Ruth Gonzalez8Kyriaki Xanthopoulou9Kyriaki Xanthopoulou10Paul G. Higgins11Paul G. Higgins12Itziar Alkorta13Lucia Gallego14Laboratory of Antibiotics and Molecular Bacteriology, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, SpainInstitute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, GermanyLaboratory of Antibiotics and Molecular Bacteriology, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, SpainInstitute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, GermanyGerman Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, GermanyInstitute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, GermanyGerman Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, GermanyMicrobiology Service, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, Health Research Institute (Instituto de Investigación Valdecilla), Santander, Spain and CIBERINFEC, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, SpainNational Hospital of Itaugua, Itaugua, ParaguayInstitute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, GermanyGerman Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, GermanyInstitute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, GermanyGerman Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, GermanyDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, SpainLaboratory of Antibiotics and Molecular Bacteriology, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, SpainAcinetobacter baumannii is a clinically important pathogen capable of causing serious nosocomial infections and acquiring resistance to antimicrobials, particularly carbapenems, making treatment difficult and prolonging hospital stays. In Latin America, high carbapenem-resistance rates have been described among A. baumannii isolates, however, Paraguay is one of the countries with limited data in this regard. Therefore, we aimed to investigate resistance rates of A. baumannii isolates from the National Hospital of Itaugua (NHI), Paraguay, from their database of 2022, and from December 2023 to February 2024, and to study in detail a representative group of multidrug-resistant clinical isolates. For this purpose, data were analyzed considering diagnostic, sample type and antimicrobial susceptibility. Eight A. baumannii isolates recovered from patients in six separate ICUs in 2024 were then selected and subjected to susceptibility testing using VITEK® and to short- and long-read sequencing, and clonality, resistome, virulome and plasmidome of the isolates were investigated. IC2 (ST2 Pasteur, ST1816/195 Oxford and ST872 Oxford) was the predominant clone among the Paraguayan isolates, and a single isolate belonging to clone IC5 (ST79 Pasteur and ST1283 Oxford) was also identified. The carbapenemase gene blaOXA-23 was located in transposons Tn2006 and Tn2008. Additionally, other antibiotic resistance genes conferring resistance to aminoglycosides, macrolides, sulfonamides, chloramphenicol, tetracyclines and trimethoprim were identified, and were found embedded in genetic environments containing mobile genetic elements. Multiple virulence genes were also detected, mainly promoting biofilm formation and immune system modulation. Plasmid analysis showed the presence of plasmids ranging in size from 2.27 to 10.74 Kb. This work describes the dissemination of the emerging clone IC2 in Paraguay and offers a detailed analysis of the resistome, virulome and plasmidome of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains. The results obtained highlight the importance of correctly characterizing these multidrug-resistant pathogens to develop infection prevention and control strategies at hospital level.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1620479/fullAcinetobacter baumanniiParaguaywhole genome sequencingepidemiologyantibiotic resistanceplasmids
spellingShingle Sandra Sánchez-Urtaza
Sandra Sánchez-Urtaza
Laura Alfonso-Alarcón
Rocío Arazo del Pino
Rocío Arazo del Pino
Tessa Burgwinkel
Tessa Burgwinkel
Alain Ocampo-Sosa
Ruth Gonzalez
Kyriaki Xanthopoulou
Kyriaki Xanthopoulou
Paul G. Higgins
Paul G. Higgins
Itziar Alkorta
Lucia Gallego
Genomic characterization of multidrug-resistant clinical Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from a hospital in Paraguay
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
Acinetobacter baumannii
Paraguay
whole genome sequencing
epidemiology
antibiotic resistance
plasmids
title Genomic characterization of multidrug-resistant clinical Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from a hospital in Paraguay
title_full Genomic characterization of multidrug-resistant clinical Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from a hospital in Paraguay
title_fullStr Genomic characterization of multidrug-resistant clinical Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from a hospital in Paraguay
title_full_unstemmed Genomic characterization of multidrug-resistant clinical Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from a hospital in Paraguay
title_short Genomic characterization of multidrug-resistant clinical Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from a hospital in Paraguay
title_sort genomic characterization of multidrug resistant clinical acinetobacter baumannii isolates from a hospital in paraguay
topic Acinetobacter baumannii
Paraguay
whole genome sequencing
epidemiology
antibiotic resistance
plasmids
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1620479/full
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