KUISCID researchers conducted a nationwide multicenter genomic epidemiology study involving 19 tertiary care hospitals across five major regions of Türkiye to investigate carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-hvKp). The study, titled “Emergence of carbapenem-resistant putative hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae ST147 with a distinct hybrid plasmid in Türkiye” was published in Emerging Microbes & Infections.
The study demonstrated an increasing prevalence of carbapenem resistance together with hypervirulence among K. pneumoniae strains in Türkiye and identified a clonal shift from the previously dominant ST2096 clone to the high-risk ST147 lineage. Genomic analyses revealed that ST147 isolates carried a distinct hybrid plasmid combining both antimicrobial resistance and virulence-associated genes, highlighting the growing adaptive potential and public health threat of these strains. The findings emphasize the importance of continuous genomic surveillance and strengthened antimicrobial stewardship strategies against emerging multidrug-resistant pathogens.
