Worldwide Diversity of Klebsiella pneumoniae That Produce β-Lactamase blaKPC-2 Gene1

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 16; no. 9; pp. 1349 - 1356
• Main Authors: Cuzon, Gaëlle, Naas, Thierry, Truong, HaVy, Villegas, Maria-Virginia, Wisell, Karin T., Carmeli, Yehuda, Gales, Ana. C., Navon-Venezia, Shiri, Quinn, John P., Nordmann, Patrice
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 01.09.2010
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid1609.091389

TOC summary: Clones harboring different plasmids with identical genetic structure could be the origin of worldwide spread. Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates that produce carbapenemases (KPCs) are rapidly disseminating worldwide. To determine their genetic background, we investigated 16 bla KPC-2 -harboring K. pneumoniae isolates from 5 countries. The isolates were multidrug resistant, possessed the bla KPC-2 gene, and differed by additional β-lactamase content. They harbored a naturally chromosome-encoded bla gene ( bla SHV-1 [12.5%], bla SHV-11 [68.7%], or bla OKP-A/B [18.8%]) and several acquired and plasmid-encoded genes ( bla TEM-1 [81.3%], bla CTX-M-2 [31.3%], bla CTX-M-12 [12.5%], bla CTX-M-15 [18.7%], and bla OXA-9 [37.5%]). The bla KPC-2 gene was always associated with 1 of the Tn 4401 isoforms (a, b, or c). Tn 4401 was inserted on different-sized plasmids that belonged to different incompatibility groups. Several bla KPC -containing K. pneumoniae clones were found: 9 different pulsotypes with 1 major (sequence type 258) and 7 minor distinct allelic profiles. Different clones harboring different plasmids but having identical genetic structure, Tn 4401 , could be at the origin of the worldwide spread of this emerging resistance gene.