In this study, we described the carbapenem bla NDM-5-carrying extensive drug-resistant (XDR) K. pneumoniae ST437 from an urban river water Kathajodi in Odisha, India. The presence of carbapenem and co-occurrence of other resistance determinants (bla NDM-5, bla CTX-M, bla SHV, and bla TEM), virulence factors (fimH, mrkD, entB, irp-1, and ybtS), and capsular serotype (K54) represent its pathogenic potential. The insertion sequence ISAba125 and the bleomycin resistance gene ble MBL at upstream and downstream, respectively, could play a significant role in the horizontal transmission of the bla NDM-5. Its biofilm formation ability contributes toward environmental protection and its survivability. MLST analysis assigned the isolate to ST437 and clonal lineage to ST11 (CC11) with a single locus variant. The ST437 K. pneumoniae, a global epidemic clone, has been reported in North America, Europe, and Asia. This work contributes in understanding of the mechanisms behind the spread of bla NDM-5 K. pneumoniae ST437 and demands extensive molecular surveillance of river and nearby hospitals for better community health.
Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03556-5.
Keywords: BlaNDM-5; Carbapenem resistant; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Urban river; Virulence factors; XDR.
© King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology 2023.