A ten-year surveillance study of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in a tertiary care Greek university hospital: predominance of KPC- over VIM- or NDM-producing isolates

J Med Microbiol. 2016 Mar;65(3):240-246. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.000217. Epub 2015 Dec 23.

Abstract

Resistance patterns and carbapenemase gene presence among Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from the University General Hospital of Patras, Greece during a ten-year period were analysed under a surveillance programme for multi-drug-resistant bacteria. From 2005 to 2014, K. pneumoniae isolates from clinically significant specimens were identified by the Vitek 2 Advanced Expert System. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed by the agar disc diffusion method and Etest. The strains were tested for the presence of blaVIM, blaIMP, blaKPC, blaNDM and blaOXA-48 genes by PCR. PFGE of chromosomal Xbal DNA digests was performed. A total of 3449 K. pneumoniae isolates were recovered during the last decade. Among them, 1668 (48 %) were carbapenemase-producing: 1333 (80%) K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-, 286 (17%) Verona imipenemase (VIM), 45 (3%) KPC- and VIM-, and four New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM)-producing. Their resistance rates to gentamicin, colistin and tigecycline were 41%, 23% and 16%, respectively. VIM-producing K. pneumoniae were isolated in 2005 and since 2008 have been endemic. KPC-producing K. pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) isolates were introduced in 2008 and until now represent the predominant carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae in our institution. PFGE of 97 KPC-Kp strains identified three types: A, 84 (87%); B, 11 (11%); and E, two (2%). Eleven co-producing KPC and VIM K. pneumoniae isolates belonged to PFGE B. The four NDM-positives were classified to type F. The number of K. pneumoniae bacteraemias increased during the study period, which may be solely attributed to the increase of carbapenemase-producing isolates. The threat of carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae emphasizes the urgent need for implementation of infection control measures and budgetary allocations to infection control.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / physiology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / physiology
  • Genotype
  • Greece / epidemiology
  • Hospitals
  • Humans
  • Klebsiella Infections / epidemiology
  • Klebsiella Infections / microbiology*
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / drug effects*
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / enzymology*
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / genetics
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Time Factors
  • beta-Lactamases / genetics
  • beta-Lactamases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • beta-Lactamases
  • carbapenemase