1
|
Xiaoli L, Peng Y, Williams MM, Lawrence M, Cassiday PK, Aneke JS, Pawloski LC, Shil SR, Rashid MO, Bhowmik P, Weil LM, Acosta AM, Shirin T, Habib ZH, Tondella ML, Weigand MR. Genomic characterization of cocirculating Corynebacterium diphtheriae and non-diphtheritic Corynebacterium species among forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals, 2017-2019. Microb Genom 2023; 9:001085. [PMID: 37712831 PMCID: PMC10569726 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Respiratory diphtheria is a serious infection caused by toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae, and disease transmission mainly occurs through respiratory droplets. Between 2017 and 2019, a large diphtheria outbreak among forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals densely settled in Bangladesh was investigated. Here we utilized whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to characterize recovered isolates of C. diphtheriae and two co-circulating non-diphtheritic Corynebacterium (NDC) species - C. pseudodiphtheriticum and C. propinquum. C. diphtheriae isolates recovered from all 53 positive cases in this study were identified as toxigenic biovar mitis, exhibiting intermediate resistance to penicillin, and formed four phylogenetic clusters circulating among multiple refugee camps. Additional sequenced isolates collected from two patients showed co-colonization with non-toxigenic C. diphtheriae biovar gravis, one of which exhibited decreased susceptibility to the first-line antibiotics and harboured a novel 23-kb multidrug resistance plasmid. Results of phylogenetic reconstruction and virulence-related gene contents of the recovered NDC isolates indicated they were likely commensal organisms, though 80.4 %(45/56) were not susceptible to erythromycin, and most showed high minimum inhibition concentrations against azithromycin. These results demonstrate the high resolution with which WGS can aid molecular investigation of diphtheria outbreaks, through the quantification of bacterial genetic relatedness, as well as the detection of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance markers among case isolates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lingzi Xiaoli
- ASRT, Inc, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Present address: Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yanhui Peng
- Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Margaret M. Williams
- Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Present address: Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Marlon Lawrence
- Laboratory Leadership Service, Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Present address: Public Health Laboratory, Virgin Islands Department of Health, US Virgin Islands, USA
| | - Pamela K. Cassiday
- Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Janessa S. Aneke
- IHRC, Inc., Atlanta, GA, USA
- Present address: Université de Paris Cité, Learning Planet Institute, Paris, France
| | - Lucia C. Pawloski
- Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sadhona Rani Shil
- Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control & Research, National Influenza Center, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mamun Or Rashid
- Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control & Research, National Influenza Center, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Proshanta Bhowmik
- Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control & Research, National Influenza Center, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Lauren M. Weil
- Epidemic Intelligence Service, Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Present address: Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Anna M. Acosta
- Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Present address: Director of Medical and Clinical Affairs, GSK Vaccines, USA
| | - Tahmina Shirin
- Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control & Research, National Influenza Center, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Zakir Hossain Habib
- Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control & Research, National Influenza Center, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - M. Lucia Tondella
- Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Michael R. Weigand
- Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|