Carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in community settings: a cross-sectional study in Belgrade, Serbia.

Aim: The types of carbapenemases and clonal relatedness among community isolates of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in Belgrade, Serbia, were determined. Materials & methods: During the period 2016-2020, K. pneumoniae community isolates were screened for carbapenemases, and carbapenemase production was confirmed by multiplex PCR. Clonality was determined based on genetic profiles obtained by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus PCR. Results: Carbapenemase genes were detected in 114 of 4800 isolates (2.4%). The most frequent gene was bla OXA-48-like . Most isolates (70.5%) were grouped in ten clusters. Cluster 11 contained 16.4% of all bla OXA-48-like -positive isolates, and all bla KPC -positive isolates were grouped in one cluster. Conclusion: Laboratory-based detection and surveillance are highly recommended in order to control the spread of resistance in community settings.