Survival of clinical and environmental carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae ST147 in surface water

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2023

Authors

Ferreira, C (Author) Other; Luzietti, L (Author) Other; Ribeirinho Soares, S (Author) Other; Olga C Nunes (Author) FEUP; Vaz Moreira, I (Author) Other; Manaia, CM (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Environmental Research

Vol. 237

ISSN: 0013-9351

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus - 0 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00Z-029

DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116928

Abstract (EN): Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae represents a healthcare threat, already disseminated in the environment. This study aimed to compare the behaviour of a clinical and an environmental K. pneumoniae strain (multilocus sequence type ST147) harbouring the gene blaKPC-3 in water. The abundance of the genes phoE (specific for K. pneumoniae) and blaKPC-3 was monitored by quantitative PCR in urban runoff water and sterile ultra-pure water microcosms, aiming to assess survival, blaKPC-3 persistence, and the effect of the native water microbiota. In sterile ultra-pure water, the abundance of cultivable K. pneumoniae and blaKPC-3 gene did not change over the incubation period (8 days). In contrast, in urban runoff, the K. pneumoniae and the genes phoE and blaKPC genes decreased by up to 3 log-units. These results suggest that K. pneumoniae were outcompeted by the native microbiota of the urban runoff water and that the decay of blaKPC-3 gene was due to host death, rather than to gene loss. The study highlights that although native microbiota is essential to hamper the persistence of non-native bacteria, carbapenemase producing K. pneumoniae can survive in urban runoff water for at least one week.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9