Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39189818›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of infectious diseases2025

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

Idowu B Olawoye, Nicholas Waglechner, Fiona McIntosh, Pierre-Marie Akochy, Nancy Cloutier, Simon Grandjean Lapierre, Bouchra Tannir, Christina Greenaway, Elias Matouk, Louise Poirier and 8 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of infectious diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Canada communicable disease report = Releve des maladies transmissibles au Canada · 2026
    Article
  4. Population genetic analysis of clinicalFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2024
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Idowu B OlawoyeDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
Nicholas WaglechnerDepartment of Microbiology, Sinai Health, Toronto, Canada.
Fiona McIntoshInfectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Canada.
Pierre-Marie AkochyLaboratoire de Santé Publique du Québec, Montréal, Canada.
Nancy CloutierLaboratoire de Santé Publique du Québec, Montréal, Canada.
Simon Grandjean LapierreDépartement de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.
Bouchra TannirAxe Immunopathologie, Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.
Christina GreenawayDivision of Infectious Diseases, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Canada.
Elias MatoukCystic Fibrosis Translational Research Center, McGill University, Montréal, Canada.
Louise PoirierDépartement de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.
Roger C LevesqueFaculté de Médecine, Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada.
Brian BoyleDépartement de Microbiologie-Infectiologie et d'Immunologie, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada.
Caroline QuachSainte Justine, Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-1170-9475
Hafid SoualhineNational Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada.
Jane BattKeenan Research Center for Biomedical Science, Saint Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, and University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Marcel A BehrInfectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Canada.
Robyn S LeeMcGill International TB Centre, McGill University, Montréal, Canada.
Jennifer L GuthrieDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-8565-203X

Funding

Canada Research ChairsCIHRWestern
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMycobacterium 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.

methodsWe 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.

resultsBioinformatics 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.

conclusionsGenomics 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.

Indexed as

Cross InfectionMycobacterium abscessusMycobacterium Infections, NontuberculousAdultAgedFemaleGenome, BacterialGenomicsHumansMaleMiddle AgedMolecular EpidemiologyPolymorphism, Single NucleotideQuebecRetrospective Studiesantimicrobial resistancecystic fibrosisgenomic epidemiologyMycobacterium abscessuswhole-genome sequencing

Identifiers

PMID39189818
PMCPMC11841644

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.