First cases of KPC-type carbapenemase-producing bacteria in patients in New Zealand hospitals

Helen Heffernan; Kristin Dyet; Sean Munroe; Julie Creighton; Sam Chan; Susan Taylor; Chris Mansell

doi:10.1016/j.jgar.2014.07.002

First cases of KPC-type carbapenemase-producing bacteria in patients in New Zealand hospitals

J Glob Antimicrob Resist. 2014 Dec;2(4):330-333. doi: 10.1016/j.jgar.2014.07.002. Epub 2014 Jul 27.

Authors

Helen Heffernan¹, Kristin Dyet², Sean Munroe³, Julie Creighton⁴, Sam Chan⁵, Susan Taylor⁶, Chris Mansell³

Affiliations

¹ Antibiotic Reference Laboratory, Institute for Environmental Science and Research (ESR), P.O. Box 50348, Wellington 5240, New Zealand. Electronic address: helen.heffernan@esr.cri.nz.
² Antibiotic Reference Laboratory, Institute for Environmental Science and Research (ESR), P.O. Box 50348, Wellington 5240, New Zealand.
³ Microbiology Department, Waikato Hospital, Private Bag 3200, Hamilton, New Zealand.
⁴ Microbiology Department, Canterbury Health Laboratories, P.O. Box 151, Christchurch, New Zealand.
⁵ Microbiology Department, Medlab Central, P.O. Box 293, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
⁶ Microbiology Department, Middlemore Hospital, Private Bag 93311, Auckland, New Zealand.

PMID: 27873697
DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2014.07.002

Abstract

The emergence and global spread of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemases (KPCs) is a significant public health problem. Between October 2010 and July 2013, KPC-producing K. pneumoniae were isolated from four patients in New Zealand hospitals. These cases are the first known isolations of KPC-producing organisms in New Zealand. All four patients were transferred from, or had recently been in, hospitals in countries where KPC-producing organisms are prevalent (China, India, Greece and Italy). The bla_KPC-2 gene was identified in the isolates from three patients and bla_KPC-3 was identified in the isolate from the remaining patient. The isolates belonged to different multilocus sequence type clonal complexes, usually those prevalent in the country in which the patient had been previously hospitalised. Currently in New Zealand, the common factor associated with having a KPC-producing organism is prior hospitalisation in another country where these organisms are prevalent.

Keywords: KPC carbapenemase; Klebsiella pneumoniae; New Zealand.