Features of Infections Due to Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase–Producing Escherichia coli: Emergence of Sequence Type 131

Abstract

KPC-producing E. coli infections occur in severely ill patients who are admitted to the hospital. Acquisition of the KPC-encoding plasmids by the ST 131 clone, reported here for the first time to our knowledge in the United States, seems to represent multiple independent events. These plasmids are often shared between E. coli and other species.