Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PSA) is an opportunistic bacterium widely associated with hospital infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. The emergence of PSA strains producing carbapenemase has worsened the clinical scenario, limiting the therapeutic options available an important public health problem on a global scale. In this context, the present study aims to perform the genomic characterization of a PSA isolate co-producing GES-1 and KPC-2.

Thirteen PSA strains resistant to carbapenems were included, isolated from blood culture (n = 5) and tracheal secretion (n = 8) from patients in two hospitals in Porto Velho, Rondônia. The BlueCarba test was used to detect carbapenemase production. The strain with a positive result was selected for whole-genome sequencing using the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform. De novo genome assembly and annotation were performed using SPAdes and Prokka, respectively. Sequence Type (ST) determination and identification of plasmid replicons were conducted using tools from the CGE Platform. Phage elements were identified using PHASTER, and the resistome was identified using CARD.

Among the strains, only PSA-8697 (blood culture) was positive in the BlueCarba test and was selected for genomic sequencing. The assembled genome of PSA-8697 presented 107 contigs, with a total length of 6,831,535 base pairs and an average G+C content of 66.04 percent. Resistome analysis revealed the presence of genes encoding resistance to beta-lactams (blaGES-1 and blaKPC-2) and aminoglycosides (APH(3’)-IIb). MLST typing identified PSA-8697 as belonging to ST3079. Analysis of phage elements identified 12 sequences, of which five were classified as intact. No plasmid replicons were detected. It is noteworthy that previous studies conducted in Brazil reported the presence of an ST3079 clone co-producing GES-1 and KPC-2 in the Northeast, thus suggesting that this clone may be spreading in the country.

We describe here for the first time in the northern region of Brazil the genomic characterization of a PSA ST3079 lineage co-producing GES-1 and KPC-2. The findings of this study, from a region with scarce data on the epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance, reinforce the importance of continuous monitoring of this genetic profile.