Comparative molecular profiling of multidrug-resistant identifies novel mutations in regional clinical isolates from South India.

Objectives: We sought to analyse the antibiotic susceptibility profiles and molecular epidemiology of MDR clinical isolates from South India using non-MDR isolates as a reference.

Methods: We established a comprehensive clinical strain library consisting of 58 isolates collected from patients across the South Indian state of Kerala from March 2017 to July 2019. The strains were subject to antibiotic susceptibility testing, modified carbapenem inactivation method assay for carbapenemase production, PCR sequencing, comparative sequence analysis and quantitative PCR of MDR determinants associated with antibiotic efflux pump systems, fluoroquinolone resistance and carbapenem resistance.