Genomic Analysis Revealed the International and Domestic Transmission of Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in Chinese Pediatric Patients

ABSTRACT

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) poses a severe threat to public health worldwide. Based on the genomic analysis of 198 CRKP isolates collected at Shanghai Children’s Medical Center over the last 8 years (2013 to 2021), we reported the clinical risk, genetic diversity, and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of CRKP in pediatric patients at the genomic level. We found that the bla _NDM genes were the predominant carbapenemase genes, followed by bla _KPC-2 and bla _IMP. All of the carbapenemases were disseminated mainly by four main types of plasmids, among which one plasmid was associated with a higher risk of bloodstream infections. Notably, we tracked disease outbreaks caused by recent introductions of ST14 CRKP from southeast Asia or western countries, and we reported frequent, repetitive introductions of ST11 from other domestic hospitals that were associated interhospital movement of the patients. The cocirculation of K. pneumoniae and AMR plasmids in hospitals highlights the importance of genome sequencing for monitoring and controlling CRKP infections.

IMPORTANCE Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) infection in pediatric patients differs from that in adults patients in terms of both genetic and phenotypic features, which remain to be elucidated. We present a summary of prevalent CRKP isolates from Chinese pediatric patients over 8 years, demonstrating the prevalence and clinical importance of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase genes in pediatric patients, mainly describing the genomic features of two predominant CRKP clones (ST11 and ST14) in Chinese children, and identifying four carbapenemase-encoding plasmids that contribute to the transmission of most carbapenemase genes in hospitals. Overall, our research provides valuable information about the international and domestic transmission of CRKP isolates that are prevalent in Chinese children and shows the urgent need for genome sequencing-based surveillance systems for monitoring the transmission of CRKP.