The emergence of a novel nosocomial outbreak-associated species of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacter cloacae complex ST873. A novel Enterobacter lineage

We investigated nosocomial infections involving unusual carbapenemase-producing Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC) strains isolated over a one-year period and originating from hospital environment. Whole-genome sequence typing revealed the predominance of epidemic isolates belonging to the novel sequence type ST873 , which produced the carbapenemase VIM-4. The mechanism underlying the one-year outbreak involved the emergence of a new phylogenetic lineage within the ECC, which should be closely monitored in the context of nosocomial infections