title: Clonal spread of highly successful ST15-CTX-M-15 Klebsiella pneumoniae in companion animals and horses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical relevance and molecular epidemiology of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella species in animals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Antimicrobial susceptibilities and presence of ESBLs were examined among Klebsiella spp. (n = 1519) from clinical samples (>1200 senders from Germany and other European countries) mainly from companion animals and horses from October 2008 to March 2010. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and PFGE were performed including human isolates for comparative purposes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall ESBL rate was 8% for Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae. Most K. pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae ESBL producers were isolated from soft tissue infections (29.3%) and urinary tract infections (14.9%). The major ESBL type was CTX-M-15 (85.4%), located on different plasmid scaffolds (HI2, I1, FIA, FIB, FII, A/C, R and N). Other ESBL genes, such as bla(CTX-M-1) (5.6%), bla(CTX-M-3), bla(CTX-M-9), bla(SHV-2) and bla(SHV-12) (1.1% each), were also detected. Additional resistances, e.g. to fluoroquinolones (89.9%), were frequently present. ST15-CTX-M-15, a clonal group that recently emerged in humans, accounted for 75.8% of the strains analysed by MLST and there was evidence for nosocomial events in five veterinary clinics. Human ST15-CTX-M-15 strains shared PFGE clusters with animal isolates, suggesting the dissemination of this clonal group between both populations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicate a wide spread of ST15-CTX-M-15 K. pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae, which should be considered as a zoonotic agent of high clinical relevance for humans and animals. Further research should be undertaken to unravel both microevolutionary and biological aspects probably contributing to this global success.
authors: Institute of Hygiene and Infectious Diseases of Animals, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany christa.ewers@vetmed.uni-giessen.de.
authors: Christa
authors: C
authors: Ewers
authors: Vet Med Labor GmbH, Division of IDEXX Laboratories, Ludwigsburg, Germany.
authors: Ivonne
authors: I
authors: Stamm
authors: Robert Koch Institute, FG13 Nosocomial Pathogens and Antibiotic Resistance, Wernigerode, Germany.
authors: Yvonne
authors: Y
authors: Pfeifer
authors: Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Centre for Infection Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors: Lothar H
authors: LH
authors: Wieler
authors: Vet Med Labor GmbH, Division of IDEXX Laboratories, Ludwigsburg, Germany.
authors: Peter A
authors: PA
authors: Kopp
authors: Department of Clinical Microbiology 445, Hvidovre Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Schønning
authors: Institute of Hygiene and Infectious Diseases of Animals, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
authors: Ellen
authors: E
authors: Prenger-Berninghoff
authors: Institute of Hygiene and Infectious Diseases of Animals, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Scheufen
authors: Institute of Hygiene and Infectious Diseases of Animals, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
authors: Inka
authors: I
authors: Stolle
authors: Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Centre for Infection Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors: Sebastian
authors: S
authors: Günther
authors: Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Centre for Infection Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors: Astrid
authors: A
authors: Bethe
mesh_terms: D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D005838:Genotype; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D006736:Horses; D007710:Klebsiella Infections / Q000662:veterinary*; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D018440:beta-Lactam Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; C473109:beta-lactamase CTX-M-15; D001618:beta-Lactamases
keywords: ESBLs; antimicrobial resistance; urinary tract infections; wound infections