Identification of a Carbapenemase-Producing Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolate in the United States

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2019 Jun 24;63(7):e00519-19. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00519-19. Print 2019 Jul.

Abstract

We report on a carbapenemase-producing hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CP-hvKP) isolate collected from a U.S. patient at an outpatient clinic. The isolate was identified as K. pneumoniae serotype K1 sequence type 23 and included both a hypervirulence (with rmpA, rmpA2 iroBCDN, peg-344, and iucABCD-iutA genes) and a carbapenemase-encoding (blaKPC-2) plasmid. The emergence of CP-hvKP underscores the importance of clinical awareness of this pathotype and the need for continued monitoring of CP-hvKP in the United States.

Keywords: Klebsiella; hypervirulence; plasmid-mediated resistance.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Humans
  • Klebsiella Infections / microbiology*
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / drug effects
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / genetics*
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / isolation & purification
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / pathogenicity*
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Plasmids
  • United States
  • Virulence / genetics
  • beta-Lactamases / genetics*

Substances

  • beta-Lactamases
  • beta-lactamase KPC-2, Klebsiella pneumoniae