Genomic and epidemiologic investigation of Mycobacterium abscessus isolates in a cystic fibrosis center to determine potential routes of transmission
We identified shared M. abscessus strains via genomic analysis among pwCF at DCMC. None of the clustered patient isolates matched hospital environmental isolates at the genomic level. One hospital environmental isolate had genomic similarity to a respiratory isolate of M. abscessus, but the epidemiologic investigation revealed no evidence of subject exposure to the hospital setting. One ssp. massiliense subject pair had the same level of pangenome relatedness as the sibling pair and epidemiological investigation revealed overlap in the clinic, supporting healthcare-associated person-to-person transmission among the pair within a cluster. One pwCF had polyclonal clustered infections, suggesting multiple environmental sources of acquisition outside the healthcare environment.
Authors
- Charmie K. Vang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5724-0265)
- L. Elaine Epperson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6715-1001)
- Silvia M. Caceres (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1827-5132)
- Jerry A. Nick (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8910-3449)
- Ettie M. Lipner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6212-0240)
- Jennifer R. Honda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4943-8738)
- Charles L. Daley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3324-926X)
- Jane E. Gross (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5518-8966)
- Vinicius Calado Nogueira de Moura (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5874-0958)
- Katie R. Poch
- Nabeeh A. Hasan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7359-5680)
- Matthew Strand (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9083-5989)
- Jason Fullmer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4337-9420)
- Michael Strong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3247-6260)
- Fan Jia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7779-5556)
- Gregory McCleland
Institutions
- National Institutes of Health (US)
- The University of Texas at Tyler (US)
- National Jewish Health (US)
- Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas (US)
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (US)
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler (US)
- University of Colorado Denver (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Cystic Fibrosis
- Published
- 2025-08-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcf.2025.07.003
- Primary Topic
- Mycobacterium research and diagnosis
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00