Whole-Genome Analysis of Paenibacillus campinasensis from Blood of a Hand-Foot-Mouth Patient.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the antibiotic resistance and virulence factors of Paenibacillus campinasensis, an understudied opportunistic pathogen, through whole-genome sequencing and resistance genes. The findings will contribute to the development of effective clinical strategies for infection control.

Patients and methods: A 1-year and 3-month-old boy presenting with fever and rash was admitted to the hospital and clinically diagnosed with hand-foot-mouth disease. A blood culture was obtained, and the pathogen was preliminarily identified as belonging to the genus Paenibacillus using MALDI-TOF-MS. Subsequent 16S rDNA PCR product Sanger sequencing confirmed the isolate as Paenibacillus campinasensis. Whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed to evaluate the antibiotic resistance and virulence factors of the strain.

Results: Whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis identified 18 resistance genes in the Paenibacillus campinasensis strain, spanning multiple antibiotic categories. These findings suggest the potential for multidrug resistance in this bacterium, despite its isolation from blood without associated clinical infection in the patient.

Conclusion: The identification of resistance genes in Paenibacillus campinasensis underscores the challenges in clinical treatment and emphasizes the critical role of whole-genome analysis in pathogen detection and characterization. These findings are vital for informing effective clinical strategies to address infections, particularly given the potential for antibiotic resistance to hinder treatment outcomes, even in the absence of direct disease causation by the bacterium.