OXA-48 Carbapenemase in Klebsiella pneumoniae Sequence Type 307 in Ecuador

Villacís, José E.; Reyes, Jorge A.; Castelán-Sánchez, Hugo G.; Dávila-Ramos, Sonia; Lazo, Miguel Angel; Wali, Ahmad; Bodero, Luis A.; Toapanta, Yadira; Naranjo, Cristina; Montero, Lorena; Campos, Josefina; Galas, Marcelo G.; Gestal, Mónica C.

Antibiotic resistance is on the rise, leading to an increase in morbidity and mortality due to infectious diseases. Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes bronchopneumonia, abscesses, urinary tract infection, osteomyelitis, and a wide variety of infections. The ubiquity of this microorganism confounds with the great increase in antibiotic resistance and have bred great concern worldwide. K. pneumoniae sequence type (ST) 307 is a widespread emerging clone associated with hospital-acquired infections, although sporadic community infections have also been reported. The aim of our study is to describe the first case of Klebsiella pneumoniae (ST) 307 harboring the blaOXA-48-like gene in Ecuador. We characterized a new plasmid that carry OXA-48 and could be the source of future outbreaks. The strain was recovered from a patient with cancer previously admitted in a Ukrainian hospital, suggesting that this mechanism of resistance could be imported. These findings highlight the importance of programs based on active molecular surveillance for the intercontinental spread of multidrug-resistant microorganisms with emergent carbapenemases.