Genomic epidemiology of dual carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and identification of an ST23-KL1 blaKPC-2/blaIMP-4 co-producing isolate in a Chinese tertiary hospital
Abstract
The convergence of hypervirulence and multidrug resistance in K. pneumoniae poses a serious and emerging threat to global health. Here, we conducted genomic characterization of 40 dual carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae (DC-KP) isolates collected from a Chinese tertiary hospital. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that blaKPC-2/blaNDM-5 was the predominant carbapenemase combination, and most isolates belonged to the ST11 lineage. Low MICs of ATM + AVI and ATM + CZA were observed for 38 of the 40 DC-KP isolates, indicating substantial in vitro activity against most isolates in this cohort. Notably, we identified an ST23-KL1 K. pneumoniae isolate co-harboring blaKPC-2 and blaIMP-4 and carrying multiple hypervirulence-associated determinants. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an ST23-KL1 isolate with this combination of carbapenemase genes. RM/Anti-RM-associated gene counts differed among isolates with different carbapenemase profiles, warranting further investigation. These findings provide genomic insights into the coexistence of carbapenem resistance and hypervirulence-associated traits in K. pneumoniae.
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BibTeX
@article{li2026genomic,
title = {{Genomic epidemiology of dual carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and identification of an ST23-KL1 blaKPC-2/blaIMP-4 co-producing isolate in a Chinese tertiary hospital}},
author = {Haijun Li and Saiqi Qi and Jilei Ma and Cailin Liu and Haiyang Meng and Fence Li and Xiaoxu Ma and Wanhai Wang and Shijun Sun},
journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2026.1981105},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1981105},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Genomic epidemiology of dual carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and identification of an ST23-KL1 blaKPC-2/blaIMP-4 co-producing isolate in a Chinese tertiary hospital
AU - Haijun Li
AU - Saiqi Qi
AU - Jilei Ma
AU - Cailin Liu
AU - Haiyang Meng
AU - Fence Li
AU - Xiaoxu Ma
AU - Wanhai Wang
AU - Shijun Sun
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/02
JO - Frontiers in Microbiology
DO - 10.3389/fmicb.2026.1981105
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1981105
AB - The convergence of hypervirulence and multidrug resistance in K. pneumoniae poses a serious and emerging threat to global health. Here, we conducted genomic characterization of 40 dual carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae (DC-KP) isolates collected from a Chinese tertiary hospital. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that blaKPC-2/blaNDM-5 was the predominant carbapenemase combination, and most isolates belonged to the ST11 lineage. Low MICs of ATM + AVI and ATM + CZA were observed for 38 of the 40 DC-KP isolates, indicating substantial in vitro activity against most isolates in this cohort. Notably, we identified an ST23-KL1 K. pneumoniae isolate co-harboring blaKPC-2 and blaIMP-4 and carrying multiple hypervirulence-associated determinants. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an ST23-KL1 isolate with this combination of carbapenemase genes. RM/Anti-RM-associated gene counts differed among isolates with different carbapenemase profiles, warranting further investigation. These findings provide genomic insights into the coexistence of carbapenem resistance and hypervirulence-associated traits in K. pneumoniae.
SN - 1664-302X
ER -