Diversity of plasmids responsible for multiple resistance in klebsiella serotype K2

Abstract

SUMMARYKlebsiella of capsular type K2 were investigated to find out whether a single epidemic clone was the source of many outbreaks of infection in different hospitals, in different areas over a period of five years. The klebsiellas studied were found to be very similar; they were of the same biotype, had similar klebecin sensitivity patterns and carried multiple drug-resistance plasmids; however, characterization of these plasmids showed that they were heterogeneous. Thus there was not a single epidemic bacterial clone.

Plasmid pattern analysis of natural bacterial isolates and its epidemiological implication

“…The presence of extrachromosomal DNA-elements in natural bacterial isolates has been used to obtain information on the ecology and epidemiology of bacteria (Sewberg, Tompkins & Falkow, 1981;Willshaw et al 1980; McHale, Keane & Dougan, 1981;Richards, Hughes & Datta, 1981). This assumes that the particular set of plasmids maintained by a certain bacterial clone (its plasmid pattern) remains unchanged, even if the progeny is exposed to different environmental situations.…”

Plasmid-specified aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes in clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae

“…Clinical isolates of K I e b s i e l I a ( K l e b s i e l l a p n e u m o n i a e , K l e b s i e l l a a e r o g e n e s ) responsible for hospital epidemics are known to be resistant to many antibiotics, including aminoglycosides (3,5,6,13,18,23,25,26,29).…”