Whole-Genome Analysis of Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Kp04 Reveals Distinctive Antimicrobial and Arsenic-Resistance Genomic Features: A Case Study from Bangladesh.

Abstract

Multidrug-resistant bacteria, particularly extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase-producing (ESBL) bacteria, pose a significant global public health challenge. Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPN) is frequently implicated in cases of this resistance. This study aimed to investigate the presence of drug and metal resistance genes in clinical K. pneumoniae isolate Kp04 and comparative genomics of clinical KPN isolates characterized from Bangladesh. A total of 12 isolates were collected. Disk-diffusion assay showed that all five isolates were resistant to 14 out of 21 tested antibiotics and sensitive to only three-tigecycline, imipenem, and meropenem. KPN Kp04 was positive for both bla_SHV and bla_CTX-M ESBL genes in PCR. All five isolates produced PCR amplicons of the correct size for ampicillin (ampC), tetracycline (tetC), fluoroquinolone (qnrS), and aminoglycoside (aadA) resistance genes. The whole genome of Kp04 was sequenced using the MiSeq Platform (V3 kit, 2 × 300 cycles). We utilized different databases to detect Antibiotic-Resistant Genes (ARGs), virulence factor genes (VFGs), and genomic functional features of the Kp04 strain. Whole-genome sequencing identified 75 ESBL, virulence, and multiple drug-resistant (MDR) genes including bla_SHV, tetA, oqxA, oqxB, aadA, sul1-5, and mphA in KPN Kp04 isolate. Pan-genomic analysis of 43 Bangladeshi KPN isolates showed similarities between Dhaka and Chattogram isolates regarding virulence and antibiotic-resistant genes. Our results indicate the transmission of similar virulent KPN strains in Dhaka and Chattogram. This study would provide valuable information about drug sensitivity, antibiotic, and metal resistance features of K. pneumoniae circulated among hospitalized patients in Bangladeshi megacities.