Genomic Study of bla IMI -Positive Enterobacter cloacae Complex in Singapore over a Five-Year Study Period

Abstract

bla_IMI is rarely detected outside the Enterobacter genus. Genome characterization of 87 bla_IMI-positive E. cloacae complex revealed that the largest phylogenomic clade was made up of E. cloacae subsp. cloacae (71.3%) followed by the newly described species E. bugandensis (13.8%), E. sichuanensis (10.3%) and E. roggenkampii (4.6%). IMI-1 was the predominant carbapenemase variant (86/87, 98.9%). All the bla_IMI were associated with chromosomally integrated Xer-dependent integrative mobile element (IMEX) with two new variants detected.