Molecular Characterization of Multidrug-Resistant and Hypervirulent New Delhi Metallo-Beta-Lactamase Klebsiella pneumoniae in Lazio, Italy: A Five-Year Retrospective Study
A total of 126 clinical NDM-Kpn isolates were collected from 19 distinct hospitals in the Lazio region. Molecular analysis highlighted the existence of NDM-1 (108/126) and NDM-5 (18/126) variants, 18 Sequence Types (STs), and 15 Cluster Types (CTs). Notably, 31/126 isolates displayed a virulence score of 4, carrying <i>ybt</i>, <i>ICEKp</i>, <i>iuc</i>, and <i>rmp</i> genes. This study identified a variety of NDM-Kpn STs, mainly carrying the <i>bla</i><sub>NDM-1</sub> gene, with a significant number linked to high-risk clones. Of these isolates, 24.6% showed high-level resistance and virulence, emphasizing the risk of the spread of strains that combine multi-drug-resistance (MDR) and virulence. Proactive surveillance and international collaborations are needed to prevent the spread of high-risk clones, as well as further research into new antimicrobial agents to fight antibiotic resistance.
Authors
- Francesco Messina (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8076-7217)
- Marina Selleri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9131-7502)
- Valentina Antonelli
- Carla Fontana (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2198-1947)
- Ornella Butera
- Carolina Venditti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2644-1862)
- Valentina Dimartino (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4729-577X)
- Carla Nisii (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5369-0437)
- Silvia D’Arezzo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7783-6194)
- Claudia Rotondo
- Michele Properzi
- Claudia Caparrelli
Institutions
- Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Antibiotics
- Published
- 2024-11-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13111045
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.34
Funders
- European Commission
- Ministero della Salute
- Regione Lazio