{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T11:10:42Z","timestamp":1785409842391,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"American Society for Microbiology","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,6]],"date-time":"2026-01-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767657600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,6]],"date-time":"2026-01-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767657600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.asm.org\/non-commercial-tdm-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.asm.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Microbiol Spectr"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,6]]},"abstract":"ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n \n \n \n Carbapenem-resistant\n Escherichia coli<\/jats:italic>\n (CREC) is a serious global health threat. While\n bla<\/jats:italic>\n NDM<\/jats:sub>\n -positive and\n bla<\/jats:italic>\n KPC<\/jats:sub>\n -positive CRECs are well-characterized, the genomic and epidemiological features of\n bla<\/jats:italic>\n IMP<\/jats:sub>\n -positive CRECs remain poorly understood. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of\n bla<\/jats:italic>\n IMP<\/jats:sub>\n -positive CRECs by integrating local and global surveillance data. We characterized nine\n bla<\/jats:italic>\n IMP-4<\/jats:sub>\n -positive CRECs from 94 CRECs collected from four tertiary hospitals in Zhejiang, China (2017\u20132024), using whole-genome sequencing and assays for antimicrobial susceptibility, plasmid transfer, stability, and fitness. The nine isolates were multidrug-resistant but susceptible to colistin, tigecycline, and amikacin. Seven diverse sequence types (STs) were identified, with high-risk ST1193 clones being first detected. The isolates had similar\n bla<\/jats:italic>\n IMP<\/jats:sub>\n -carrying IncN plasmids with high conjugation frequencies (5.3 \u00d7 10\n \u22122<\/jats:sup>\n to 8.7 \u00d7 10\n \u22121<\/jats:sup>\n ), 100% stability after 100 generations, and minimal fitness cost, facilitating regional dissemination. In addition to plasmids, other mobile genetic elements, like class 1 integrons, transposons, and insertion sequences, can also facilitate the horizontal transfer of\n bla<\/jats:italic>\n IMP<\/jats:sub>\n genes. Global analysis of 340\n bla<\/jats:italic>\n IMP<\/jats:sub>\n -positive CRECs revealed high genetic diversity (82 STs), with ST131 predominant (36.18%). Clonal spread was observed for ST131 and ST216. Significant positive correlation existed between antibiotic resistance genes and plasmid replicons (\n r<\/jats:italic>\n = 0.5205,\n P<\/jats:italic>\n < 0.001), highlighting plasmids\u2019 role in resistance transmission. China, Japan, and Australia were the top 3 contributing countries, which also showed relatively diverse resistance genes but similar virulence factors. These findings emphasize the evolving risk of\n bla<\/jats:italic>\n IMP<\/jats:sub>\n -positive CRECs and underscore the need for sustained genomic surveillance.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n IMPORTANCE<\/jats:title>\n \n Compared with\n bla<\/jats:italic>\n NDM<\/jats:sub>\n -positive and\n bla<\/jats:italic>\n KPC<\/jats:sub>\n -positive carbapenem-resistant\n Escherichia coli<\/jats:italic>\n (CREC),\n bla<\/jats:italic>\n IMP<\/jats:sub>\n -positive CRECs are often overlooked. This study emphasized IncN plasmids, which, with their strong transferability, stability, and low fitness cost, can serve as vectors for the widespread dissemination of\n bla<\/jats:italic>\n IMP<\/jats:sub>\n genes. Additionally, the study elucidated the global epidemiological status, transmission features, and potential threats of\n bla<\/jats:italic>\n IMP<\/jats:sub>\n -positive CRECs through a large-scale analysis of publicly available genomic data. These findings not only facilitate a better understanding of the genetic dynamics and transmission pathways of\n bla<\/jats:italic>\n IMP<\/jats:sub>\n but also help develop effective regulatory measures and antibiotic stewardship programs to alleviate the increasingly severe burden of antimicrobial resistance.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1128\/spectrum.03244-25","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,5]],"date-time":"2025-12-05T11:03:11Z","timestamp":1764932591000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1128\/asmj-crossmark-policy-page","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Global epidemiological and genetic characteristics of carbapenem-resistant\n Escherichia coli<\/i>\n carrying\n bla<\/i>\n IMP<\/sub>"],"prefix":"10.1128","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Yueyue","family":"Hu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00rd5t069","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Wenzhou Medical 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