Characteristics of KPC-2-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ST258) clinical isolates from outbreaks in 2 Mexican medical centers

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2014 Aug;79(4):483-5. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2014.05.010. Epub 2014 May 20.

Abstract

The KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type 258 (ST258) is an important pathogen widely spread in nosocomial infections. In this study, we identified the KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae clinical isolates of 2 unrelated outbreaks that corresponded to pandemic strain ST258. The isolates showed high resistance to cephalosporins, carbapenems, quinolones, and colistin. The KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae isolates were compared to the previously studied KPC-3-producing K. pneumoniae isolates from an outbreak in Mexico; they showed an unrelated pulsed-field gel electrophoresis fingerprinting pattern and a different plasmid profile. The KPC-2 carbapenemase gene was identified in two 230- and 270-kb non-conjugative plasmids; however, 1 isolate transferred the KPC-2 gene onto an 80-kb plasmid. These findings endorse the need of carrying out a continuous molecular epidemiological surveillance of carbapenem-resistant isolates in hospitals in Mexico.

Keywords: Carbapenemase; Enterobacteria; Imipenem.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Academic Medical Centers*
  • Cross Infection*
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Humans
  • Klebsiella Infections / epidemiology*
  • Klebsiella Infections / microbiology*
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / drug effects
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / genetics*
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae / isolation & purification
  • Mexico / epidemiology
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • beta-Lactam Resistance
  • beta-Lactamases / genetics*

Substances

  • beta-lactamase KPC-2
  • beta-Lactamases