Abstract
Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP)-associated infections have become a major concern and life-threatening worldwide. Understanding the epidemiology of CRKP using a reliable molecular technology can help to develop an effective infection control policies. In the western region of Saudi Arabia, there are no sufficient data on the prevalence of CRKP and its carbapenem-resistant determinants. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the molecular epidemiology of CRKP and identify the most common carbapenemase genes. In the current study, a total of 191 CRKP isolates were collected and obtained from clinical specimens of patients at King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital (KFAFH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. All isolates that were resistant or intermediately susceptible to either of the carbapenem antimicrobials (imipenem, meropenem, or ertapenem) were included. All CRKP showed resistance to ceftazidime, cefepime, and piperacillin/tazobactam, whereas low (14%) and moderate (37.7%) levels of resistance were reported against tigecycline and colistin, respectively. The most common carbapenemase genes identified were bla(OXA-48) (n = 157 [82.2%]), followed by bla(NDM) in 27 (14%) isolates. The bla(VIM) and bla(KPC) were reported in only one isolate each and no bla(IMP) producers were detected among all tested isolates. The high prevalence of OXA-48 among K. pneumoniae isolates reported in the current study may reflect that OXA-48 has become an endemic in Saudi Arabian hospitals. The second major finding was that the identification of CRKP co-harbors both bla(NDM) and bla(OXA-48), and such isolates can be threating for healthcare societies (patients and healthcare workers) due to their high level of resistance to carbapenems. These results suggest that the use of molecular diagnostic methods and proper surveillance programs are required to monitor and control the spread of all multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, including CRKP. Therefore, further research is recommended to expand the study and further analyze the genotyping of the most common clones of CRKP in other hospitals in the western regions of Saudi Arabia.