Prevalence, transmission and genomic epidemiology of mcr-1-positive colistin-resistant Escherichia coli strains isolated from international airplane waste, local resident fecal and wastewater treatment plants

The study analyzed mcr-1-positive Escherichia coli (MCRPEC) isolates from wastewater treatment plants, local residents’ fecal, and international airplane waste to understand their genetic characteristics and transmission patterns. The MCRPEC showed substantial genetic diversity, including 61 sequence types, 7 plasmid types, 8 phylogroups, 9 mcr-1-flanked lineages, 6 clusters, diverse serotypes, and 61.95% transposon-containing strains. The findings highlight the extensive dissemination, strong environmental adaptation, and clonal transmission of MCRPEC across diverse reservoirs, emphasizing the need for coordinated multisectoral surveillance to mitigate further transmission.