ABSTRACT
Increasing occurrence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and hypervirulent (hv) Klebsiella pneumoniae (MDR-hvKp) convergent clones is being observed. Those strains have the potential of causing difficult-to-treat infections in healthy adults with an increased capacity for mortality. It is therefore crucial to track their dissemination to prevent their further spread. The aim of our study was to investigate the occurrence of carbapenemase-producing hvKp isolates in Switzerland and to determine their genetic profile. A total of 279 MDR carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae from patients hospitalized all over Switzerland was investigated, and a rate of 9.0% K. pneumoniae presenting a virulence genotype was identified. Those isolates produced either KPC, NDM, or OXA-48 and had been either recovered from rectal swabs, urine, and blood. A series of previously reported K. pneumoniae clones such as ST23-K1, ST395-K2, and ST147-K20 or ST147-K64 were identified. All the isolates defined as MDR-hvKp (4.7%) possessed the aerobactin and the yersiniabactin clusters. The ST23-K1s were the only isolates presenting the colibactin cluster and achieved higher virulence scores. This study highlights the occurrence and circulation of worrisome MDR-hvKp and MDR nonhypervirulent K. pneumoniae (MDR-nhv-Kp) isolates in Switzerland. Our findings raise an alert regarding the need for active surveillance networks to track and monitor the spread of such successful hybrid clones representing a public health threat worldwide.
Subject(s)
Klebsiella Infections , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Adult , Humans , Switzerland/epidemiology , Bacterial Proteins/genetics , beta-Lactamases/genetics , Klebsiella Infections/drug therapy , Klebsiella Infections/epidemiology , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic useABSTRACT
The industrial version of SuperCAZ/AVI® medium developed for screening CAZ/AVI resistant Gram-negative isolates has been evaluated here using a collection of 87 well-characterized clinical isolates of worldwide origin. In addition, testing was performed by spiking stools with a series of resistant and susceptible isolates. In those conditions, the SuperCAZ/AVI® medium exhibited a sensitivity and specificity of 100 %, down to the lower limit of detection of 101 to 102 CFU/ml. The SuperCAZ/AVI® medium is a sensitive and specific screening medium for detection of CZA-resistant bacteria regardless of their resistance mechanisms.
