Occurrence of blaNDM-7 and association with blaKPC-2, blaCTX-M15, aac, aph, mph(A), catB3 and virulence genes in a clinical isolate of Klebsiella pneumoniae with different plasmids in Brazil

To characterize phenotypically and genotypically an isolate of multidrug-resistant (MDR) K. pneumoniae from a patient with septicemia in a hospital in Recife-PE, Brazil, resistance and virulence genes were investigated using PCR and sequencing the amplicons, and the plasmid DNA was also sequenced. The K74-A3 isolate was resistant to all β -lactams, including carbapenems, as well as to aminoglycosides and quinolones. By conducting a PCR analysis and sequencing, the variants bla NDM -7 associated with bla KPC-2 and the cps , wabG , fim-H , mrkD and entB virulence genes were identified. The analysis of plasmid revealed the presence of bla CTX-M15 , aac(3)-IVa , aph(3′)-Ia , aph(4)-Ia , aac(6′)ib-cr , mph(A) and catB3 , and also the plasmids IncX3, IncFIB, IncQ1, ColRNAI and ColpVC. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the bla NDM -7 gene in Recife-PE and we suggest that this variant is located in IncX3 . These results alert us to the risk of spreading an isolate with a vast genetic arsenal of resistance, in addition to which several plasmids are present that favor the horizontal transfer of these genes.