Fig. 1: Total number of rectal samples collected from mothers and neonates and characterized.

Diagram detailing the total number of mother and neonate rectal samples collected and screened for the presence of blaCTX-M-15, blaNDM, blaKPC and blaOXA-48-like genes, the number of Gram-negative isolates carrying carbapenemase genes, the number of isolates tested for antibiotic susceptibility and the number of EC (E. coli), ENT (E. cloacae complex) and KP (K. pneumoniae) isolates characterized by WGS and bioinformatics analysis. Isolates for WGS were chosen after culture on VE (vancomycin, ertapenem) agar. Recoverable isolates after −80 °C preservation were selected for gDNA extraction and WGS.