Aim: To establish a PCR-based genotyping method for clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Materials & methods: The prevalence of six serotype markers, 41 large variably presented gene clusters, and seven additional virulence markers were screened by PCR in 327 clinical K. pneumoniae strains from China.
Results: Detection of serotype markers enabled the identification of capsular serotypes K1, K2, K5, K20, K54 and K57. K. pneumoniae isolates of different origins gave distinct profiles of virulence loci, allowing us to gain a full overview of virulence gene distribution of the strains tested. A novel genotyping scheme was established to group clinical K. pneumoniae strains into distinct complexes based on the profiles of large variably presented gene clusters and virulence markers.
Conclusion: This PCR-based genotyping method would be useful to not only characterize genetic diversity and virulence gene distribution, but also for genotyping, origin tracing and risk estimation of K. pneumoniae.