Multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae: a retrospective study in Manaus, Brazil

Abstract

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause several infections, mainly in hospitalised or immunocompromised individuals. The spread of K. pneumoniae emerging virulent and multidrug-resistant clones is a worldwide concern and its identification is crucial to control these strains especially in hospitals. This article reports data related to multi-resistant K. pneumoniae strains, isolated from inpatients in the city of Manaus, Brazil, harbouring virulence and antimicrobial-resistance genes, including high-risk international clones belonging to clonal group (CG) 258. Twenty-one strains isolated from different patients admitted to four hospitals in the city of Manaus, located in the state of Amazonas, Northern Brazil (Amazon Rainforest region) were evaluated. The majority of strains (61.9% n = 13) were classified as multidrug-resistant (MDR), and five strains (23.8%) as extensively drug-resistant (XDR). Several virulence and antimicrobial-resistance genes were found among the strains and eight strains (38.1%) presented the hyper-mucoviscous phenotype. MLST analysis demonstrated a great diversity of STs among the strains, totaling 12 different STs (ST11, ST23, ST198, ST277, ST307, ST340, ST378, ST462, ST502, ST3991, ST3993 and ST5209). Three of these (ST11, ST23 and ST340) belong to CG258.