Epidemiology of Carbapenemase-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in a Hospital, Portugal.

We aimed to provide updated epidemiologic data on carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in Portugal by characterizing all isolates (N = 46) recovered during 2013-2018 in a 123-bed hospital in Lisbon. We identified bla (n = 36), bla (n = 9), and bla (n = 8) carbapenemase genes and observed co-occurrence of bla and bla in 7 isolates. A single GES-5-producing isolate co-produced the extended-spectrum β-lactamase BEL-1; both corresponding genes were co-located on the same ColE1-like plasmid. The bla gene was always located on an IncX3 plasmid, whereas bla was carried on IncN, IncFII, IncFIB, and IncFIIA plasmid types. The 46 isolates were distributed into 13 pulsotypes and 9 sequence types. All isolates remained susceptible to ceftazidime/avibactam, but some exhibited reduced antimicrobial susceptibility (MIC = 3 mg/L).