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Updated: May 10, 2026

Detection of Horizontal Gene Transfer Mediated by Natural Conjugative Plasmids in E. coli
Published on: March 24, 2023
Large IncHI2-plasmids encode extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) in Enterobacter spp. bloodstream isolates, and
E Nilsen1, B C Haldorsen, A Sundsfjord
1Reference Centre for Detection of Antimicrobial Resistance, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway; Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Molde Hospital, Molde, Norway.
Abstract:
We investigated the prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) in Enterobacter spp. bloodstream isolates from 19 hospital laboratories in Norway during 2011. A total of 62/230 (27%) isolates were resistant to third-generation cephalosporins and four (1.7%) were ESBL-positive; blaCTX -M-15 (n = 3) and blaSHV -12 (n = 1). This is comparable to the prevalence of ESBLs in clinical isolates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in Norway during the same period. All ESBL-positive isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR) and harboured plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance. Three isolates supported transfer of large IncHI2-plasmids harbouring ESBL- and MDR-encoding genes to E. coli recipients by in vitro conjugation.
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