Genomics of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from community hospitals in Pretoria, South Africa.

Authors

Mokawane Victor Mohlamoyane, Johann David Daniel Pitout, Tshepiso Innocent Lentswe, Sarah Liknaitzky, Kafilat Taiwo Salvador-Oke, Andrew Moultrie, Mishalan Moodley, Jonathan Featherston, Anthony Marius Smith, Arshad Ismail, Mohamed Said, Marthie Magdaleen Ehlers, Marleen Martha Kock

Published in

IJID regions. Volume 21. Pages 101013. Epub Sep 15, 2026.

Abstract

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae high-risk clones that produce carbapenemases and extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) are a major public health threat, limiting treatment options. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, clonal diversity, and molecular characteristics of MDR carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (CPKP) and ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from community hospitals in Pretoria, South Africa.
Whole genome sequencing and polymerase chain reaction assays were used to characterize sequence types, resistance genes, and selected mobile genetic elements.
The bla _OXA-48-like gene was the most detected carbapenemase gene, followed by bla _NDM, bla _KPC, and bla _VIM. The prevalence of sequence type (ST) 307 was 34.7% (41 of 118) and 29.4% (10 of 34) in CPKP and ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae, respectively. Double-carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae clones included ST307 with bla _NDM-1 + bla _OXA-181, ST530 and ST2680 with bla _KPC-2 + bla _OXA-181, and pandrug-resistant ST2497 carrying bla _NDM-1 + bla _OXA-232. One ST17 isolate and one pandrug-resistant ST307 isolate harbored three carbapenemase genes (bla _KPC + bla _NDM + bla _OXA-48-like).
The emergence and spread of new MDR K. pneumoniae high-risk clones with multiple carbapenemases in resource-constrained South African hospitals are a great concern due to limited treatment options. These findings call for urgent epidemiologic surveillance and enhanced infection prevention and control measures.

PMID:
42859603
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 11 Oct 2026.

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