Covert dissemination of pLVPK-like virulence plasmid in ST29-K54 Klebsiella pneumoniae: emergence of low virulence phenotype strains.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to explore the epidemic, clinical characteristics, and molecular and virulence attributes of Klebsiella pneumoniae serotype K54 (K54-Kp). A retrospective study was conducted on 328 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae screened in a Chinese hospital from January 2016 to December 2019. The virulence genes and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were detected by PCR, and a drug sensitivity test was adopted to detect drug resistance. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and PFGE were performed to determine the clonal correlation between isolates. Biofilm formation assay, serum complement-mediated killing, and Galleria mellonella infection were used to characterize the virulence potential. Our results showed that thirty strains of K54-Kp were screened from 328 strains of bacteria, with

SUBMITTER: Qiu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10565659 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature