Genomic characterization and global relatedness of multidrug-resistant Salmonella Goldcoast ST2529

Salmonella enterica serovar Goldcoast is recognized as a pathogen implicated in human epidemics; nonetheless, its antimicrobial resistance and epidemiological attributes remain largely unexplored. Here, we analyzed the complete genome sequence of a bla_NDM-1-carrying ST2529 S. Goldcoast strain T67, isolated from a patient with a clinical diagnosis of acute enteritis in China, along with its genetic relatedness to 57 other S. Goldcoast strains of the same sequence type in the NCBI GenBank database. The whole genome of T67 consists of one chromosome and four plasmids, characterized by the presence of multiple resistance genes. Notably, the genes bla_NDM-1, ble_MBL, floR, tet(A) and qnrS1 are all located on the same plasmid. The conjugation efficiency of the bla_NDM-1-carrying plasmid in strain T67 was 9.329 × 10⁻², and the transconjugants exhibited a resistance phenotype identical to that of the original strain. The SNP divergence analysis indicated that 483 strain pairs of the globally recognized ST2529 S. Goldcoast exhibited a genetic distance of fewer than 20 SNPs, falling below the threshold typically associated with clonal outbreaks, thus implying the propensity for clonal dissemination among these S. Goldcoast. Concurrently, the extended isolation intervals of clonally related strains suggest a persistent endemic presence within the region. This study elucidates the potential transmission risk posed by carbapenem-resistant strains among diverse isolates of S. Goldcoast, emphasizing the critical imperative for proactive and continuous surveillance of carbapenem-resistant Salmonella strains.