Systematic analysis of cross-genus horizontal gene transfer among bacterial pathogens in a single hospital

Multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens pose a serious public health threat, especially in hospital settings. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) contributes to this threat by facilitating the rapid spread of genes conferring antibiotic resistance, enhanced virulence, and environmental persistence between nosocomial pathogens. Despite recent advances in microbial genomics, studies of HGT in hospital settings remain limited in scope. The objective of this study was to identify and track the movement of MGEs within a single hospital system using unbiased methods.