Emergence of Escherichia coli ST131 carrying carbapenemase genes, European Union/European Economic Area, August 2012 to May 2024

Abstract

Analysis of 594 isolates of <i>Escherichia coli</i> sequence type (ST)131 and its single locus variants carrying carbapenemase genes from 17 European Union/European Economic Area countries revealed acquisition of 18 carbapenemase variants, mainly in ST131 clades A and C. Most frequent were <i>bla</i> _OXA-244 (n = 230) and <i>bla</i> _OXA-48 (n = 224), detected in 14 and 12 countries, respectively. Isolates carrying <i>bla</i> _OXA-244 have increased rapidly since 2021. The increasing detection of carbapenemase genes in the <i>E. coli</i> high-risk lineage ST131 is a public health concern.