Molecular Epidemiology of Antibiotic-Resistant Providencia Species
Summary
The molecular epidemiology of antibiotic-resistant Providencia species addresses the genetic mechanisms by which these opportunistic pathogens acquire and disseminate resistance determinants across geographic and clinical settings. Providencia, a genus within the family Morganellaceae, includes species such as P. stuartii, P. rettgeri and P. rustigianii, which are increasingly implicated in urinary tract infections, wound infections and hospital outbreaks. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and high-resolution typing methods have revealed extensive horizontal gene transfer mediated by plasmids carrying metallo-β-lactamase genes (notably blaNDM-1 and blaNDM-5), aminoglycoside methylases and extended-spectrum β-lactamases. Phylogenomic analyses have delineated distinct clonal lineages and genocomplexes, tracing international dissemination routes linked to human migration, medical transfers and nosocomial transmission networks. The intrinsic resistance of Providencia to last-resort agents, combined with its capacity to accumulate additional resistance cassettes, underscores a growing public health threat. International surveillance and integrated molecular surveillance frameworks are therefore essential to monitor the evolution, spread and control of these resistant strains.
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Molecular Epidemiology of Antibiotic-Resistant Providencia Species publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in molecular epidemiology of antibiotic-resistant providencia species across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Molecular epidemiology: The study of genetic factors and their transmission dynamics in pathogen populations to understand outbreaks and resistance spread.
Whole-genome sequencing (WGS): The process of determining the complete DNA sequence of an organism’s genome, enabling high-resolution tracking of genetic variation and resistance genes.
Plasmid: A mobile, self-replicating DNA molecule within bacteria that often carries antibiotic resistance genes and facilitates horizontal gene transfer.
blaNDM-1: A gene encoding New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1, an enzyme that confers resistance to carbapenem antibiotics by hydrolysing the β-lactam ring.
Multilocus sequence typing (MLST): A genotyping method that sequences internal fragments of multiple housekeeping genes to define bacterial lineages and track their spread.
Genocomplex: A genomic grouping that clusters related species or subspecies based on whole-genome similarity, improving resolution over traditional taxonomic schemes.
References
- Dissemination of extensively drug-resistant NDM-producing Providencia stuartii in Europe linked to patients transferred from Ukraine, March 2022 to March 2023. Eurosurveillance (2024).
- Genomic epidemiology and heterogeneity of Providencia and their blaNDM-1-carrying plasmids. Emerging Microbes & Infections (2023).
- Genome-Based Retrospective Analysis of a Providencia stuartii Outbreak in Rome, Italy: Broad Spectrum IncC Plasmids Spread the NDM Carbapenemase within the Hospital. Antibiotics (2023).
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