Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To analyze the drug resistance and genomic characteristics of ST11-CRKP strains with different capsular serotypes.
METHODS From Jun. to Dec. 2024, 97 non-duplicated CRKP strains were collected from multiple hospitals in Shanghai. Microdilution broth method was used for antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and next-generation sequencing and tools like Kleborate were employed to analyze resistance genes, virulence loci and plasmid characteristics.
RESULTS ST11-CRKP accounted for the highest proportion (62.89%, 61/97), with higher resistance rates to amikacin and chloramphenicol than non-ST11 strains, but a lower resistance rate to polymyxin E (P < 0.05). ST11-CRKP was predominantly serotype KL25 (62.30%, 38/61) and KL64 (27.87%, 17/61). Among KL25 strains, the carriage rates of β-lactams (CTX-M-65, TEM-1), aminoglycosides rmtB, chloramphenicol catII and trimethoprim dfrA14 resistance genes were higher than those in KL64 strains, but the carriage rates of β-lactams (SHV-182, SHV-134), aminoglycosides aadA2 and quinolones (LAP-2, QnrS1) resistance genes were lower than those in KL64 strains (P<0.05). Totally 88.52% (54/61) of the strains carried carbapenem-resistant plasmids, of which 11.11% (6/54) were conjugative. 93.44% (57/61) of the strains carried non-mobilizable virulence plasmids. Virulence plasmids included IncF, IncH and IncR, and carbapenem-resistant plasmids included IncF, IncR, IncU and ColRNAI. ST11-KL105 strains had low virulence but all carried NDM conjugative plasmids, while ST11-KL47 strains did not carry carbapenem resistance genes but carried virulence plasmids. ST11-KL64/KL25 were highly virulent carbapenem-resistant strains, and 23.53% (4/17) of KL64 strains carried conjugative carbapenem-resistant plasmids.
CONCLUSION ST11-CRKP are predominantly of KL25 and KL64 capsular serotypes. ST11-KL105 is low-virulent but carries an NDM conjugative resistance plasmid, ST11-KL47 is low-resistant but carries a virulence plasmid, and ST11-KL25 and KL64 are highly virulent carbapenem-resistant strains, with KL64 strains carrying conjugative resistance plasmids, posing a strong risk of clonal transmission and requiring special monitoring.