Objective: Klebsiella pneumoniae is a common multidrug-resistant pathogen that jeopardizes the health of hospitalized patients. We aimed to study the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) isolates from a hospital in Beijing.
Methods: Twenty-four CRKP clinical isolates were collected within a half-year to investigate antimicrobial resistance and genomic characteristics. Illumina and Nanopore sequencing were performed to assemble and annotate genomes.
Results: All strains were multi-drug resistant. Twenty-two strains carried the bla _KPC-2 gene and two harbored bla _NDM-5. Multilocus sequence type (MLST) analysis identified five sequence types; most isolates belonged to ST11. Three strains were isolated from the same patient; each carried a different plasmid replicon, either IncFII _(pHN7A8), IncX, or IncFIB _(K).
Conclusion: This study furthers the understanding of CRKP antimicrobial resistance genotypes, and may facilitate the control of nosocomial infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.
Keywords: Klebsiella pneumoniae , drug resistance, carbapenemase, ST11, bla _KPC-2