Clinical Molecular Epidemiology of Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Among Pediatric Patients in Jiangsu Province, China

Abstract

Clonal dissemination of KPC-2-producing CRKP ST11 was observed in multiple departments. Moreover, two novel STs (ST4854 and ST4855) were identified, which indicates an increased diversity of CRKP strains. To our knowledge, this is the first report that identified the dissemination of <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> coproducing KPC-2 and IMP-4 clones among children, which represents a significant health risk to pediatric patients. Active surveillance and effective control measures are urgently needed to prevent further transmission of these strains among children.