Unveiling the Global Threat: Genomic Insights into Carbapenem-Resistant <i>Salmonella enterica</i> subsp <i>. enterica</i> in Human

The misuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics has facilitated the emergence of carbapenem-resistant <i>Salmonella enterica</i> subsp. <i>enterica</i> (CRSE). This study aims to investigate the genomic characteristics and epidemiological patterns of two strains isolated from pediatric patients, along with 21 CRSE strains collected from humans worldwide. The antimicrobial susceptibility tests were detected by the agar microdilution method. Whole-genome sequence of the two CRSE strains was sequenced using the Illumina platform. Acquisition and analysis of WGS data were performed by the NCBI Pathogen Detection Portal, BacWGSTdb 2.0, <i>Salmonella</i> In Silico Typing Resource, and the Center for Genomic Epidemiology. Two <i>S.</i> Typhimurium isolates from children carried the carbapenemase gene <i>bla</i>_NDM-5 and belonged to ST34. The CRSE isolates predominantly contained the carbapenem resistance gene <i>bla</i>_OXA-48 in the United Kingdom and <i>bla</i>_NDM in China. The virulence gene profiles of these isolates were consistent across different regions. Carbapenem-resistant <i>S.</i> Typhimurium and <i>S. Kentucky</i> were predominantly found in China and the United Kingdom, respectively. ST198 strains were prevalent in the United Kingdom, whereas all ST34 strains were identified in China. This investigation underscores the global dissemination of carbapenem-resistant <i>Salmonella</i> in humans, revealing variations in drug resistance, serotypes, and sequence types across different regions. Therefore, the global detection of carbapenem resistance has important guiding significance for controlling its transmission, preventing infection, and clinical treatment.