Genomic Epidemiology of Mycobacterium abscessus on the Island of Montréal Is Not Suggestive of Health Care-Associated Person-to-Person Transmission

Abstract

Abstract Background Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MABC), an opportunistic nontuberculous mycobacteria, can lead to poor clinical outcomes in pulmonary infections. Conflicting data exist on person-to-person transmission of MABC within and across health care facilities. To investigate further, a comprehensive retrospective study across 5 health care institutions on the Island of Montréal was undertaken. Methods We analyzed the genomes of 221 MABC isolates obtained from 115 individuals (2010–2018) to identify possible links. Genetic similarity, defined as ≤25 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), was investigated through a blinded epidemiological inquiry. Results Bioinformatics analyses identified 28 sequence types, including globally observed dominant circulating clones (DCCs). Further analysis revealed 210 isolate pairs within the SNP threshold. Among these pairs, there was 1 possible laboratory contamination where isolates from different patients processed in the same laboratory differed by only 2 SNPs. There were 37 isolate pairs from patients who had provided specimens from the same hospital; however, epidemiological analysis found no evidence of health care-associated person-to-person transmission between these patients. Additionally, pangenome analysis showed higher discriminatory power than core genome analysis for examining genomic similarity. Conclusions Genomics alone is insufficient to establish MABC transmission, particularly considering the genetic similarity and wide distribution of DCCs, although pangenome analysis has the potential to add further insight. Our findings indicate that MABC infections in Montréal are unlikely attributable to health care-associated person-to-person transmission.