First description of NDM-1-, KPC-2-, VIM-2-and IMP-4-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains in a single Chinese teaching hospital

A total of 180 non-duplicate carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates were recovered from patients hospitalized between December 2010 and January 2012 at a Chinese hospital. Eight KPC-2, four NDM-1, one VIM-2, and five KPC-2 plus IMP-4 producers were identified and all were multidrug resistant due to the presence of other resistance determinants, including extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (CTX-M-15, SHV-12), 16S rRNA methylases (armA, rmtB) and plasmid-mediated quinolone-resistance determinants (qnrA, B, S, aac(6')-Ib-cr). Nine K. pneumoniae clones (Kpn-A1/ST395, Kpn-A3/ST11, Kpn-A2/ST134, Kpn-B/ST263, Kpn-C/ST37, Kpn-D/ST39, Kpn-E/ST1151, Kpn-F/ST890, Kpn-G/ST1153) were identified. bla(KPC-2) was located on transferable similar to 65 kb IncL/M (ST395, ST11, ST134, ST39) and similar to 100 kb IncA/C (ST37, ST1153, ST890) plasmids, respectively. On the other hand, bla(NDM-1) was associated with a similar to 70 kb IncA/C plasmid (ST263). However, non-typable plasmids of similar to 40 kb containing bla(VIM-2) were detected in the ST1151 clone. This work reports the first co-occurrence of four diverse types of carbapenemase of K. pneumoniae clones from a single hospital in China. IncA/C, IncL/M, and other successful plasmids may be important for the dissemination of carbapenemases, producing a complex epidemiological picture.