Identification of a Carbapenemase-Producing Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolate in the United States

Abstract

We report on a carbapenemase-producing hypervirulent <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> (CP-hvKP) isolate collected from a U.S. patient at an outpatient clinic. The isolate was identified as <i>K. pneumoniae</i> serotype K1 sequence type 23 and included both a hypervirulence (with <i>rmpA</i>, <i>rmpA2 iroBCDN</i>, <i>peg</i>-344, and <i>iucABCD-iutA</i> genes) and a carbapenemase-encoding (<i>bla</i>_KPC-2) plasmid. The emergence of CP-hvKP underscores the importance of clinical awareness of this pathotype and the need for continued monitoring of CP-hvKP in the United States.