Dissemination of the KPC-2 carbapenemase in non-Klebsiella pneumoniae enterobacterial isolates from Colombia

Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-type enzymes have largely disseminated worldwide among K. pneumoniae isolates. In this study, 11 non-K. pneumoniae KPC-producing enterobacterial isolates from four hospitals located in different Colombian cities were genetically investigated. All isolates were multidrug-resistant and harboured the blaKPC-2 gene along with several other acquired β-lactamase genes. The blaKPC-2 gene was associated with transposon Tn4401b inserted in different loci of plasmids varying in size and replicon type. The presence of KPC-2 in different enterobacterial species from different cities within Colombia underlines the spread of KPC beyond K. pneumoniae.