Cross-border spread of bla(NDM-1)- and bla(OXA-48)-positive Klebsiella pneumoniae: a European collaborative analysis of whole genome sequencing and epidemiological data, 2014 to 2019

Abstract

Analysis of sequencing data for 143 bla(NDM-1)- and bla(OXA-48)-positive Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from 13 European national collections and the public domain resulted in the identification of 15 previously undetected multi-country transmission clusters. For 10 clusters, cases had prior travel/hospitalisation history in countries outside of the European Union including Egypt, Iran, Morocco, Russia, Serbia, Tunisia and Turkey. These findings highlight the benefit of European whole genome sequencing-based surveillance and data sharing for control of antimicrobial resistance.