Molecular characterization of NDM and OXA-48-like-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae ST16 and hypervirulent ST337 clone among two patients; a case report

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) infections are a major public health problem, requiring the use of last-resort antibiotics such as colistin. However, there is concern regarding the emergence of isolates resistant to this agent. The report describes two patients with urinary tract infection (UTI) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) infection caused by CRKP strains. The first case was a 23-year-old male with UTI caused by a strain of ST16 co-harboring bla_CTX-M, bla_TEM, bla_SHV, bla_NDM, bla_OXA-48-like genes. The second case was a 39-year-old woman with VAP due to hypervirulent ST337-K2 co-harboring bla_SHV, bla_NDM, bla_OXA-48-like, iucA, rmpA2 and rmpA_. The patients’ general condition improved after combination therapy with colistin (plus meropenem and rifampin, respectively) and both of them recovered and were discharged from the hospital. This study highlights the necessary prevention and control steps to prevent the further spread of CRKP strains should be a priority in our hospital.