The Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC), first described in the United States in 1996, is now a widespread global problem in several Gram-negative species. A worldwide surveillance study collected Gram-negative pathogens from 202 global sites in 40 countries during 2012 to 2014 and determined susceptibility to β-lactams and other class agents by broth microdilution testing. Molecular mechanisms of β-lactam resistance among carbapenem-nonsusceptible Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were determined using PCR and sequencing. Genes encoding KPC enzymes were found in 586 isolates from 22 countries (76 medical centers), including countries in the Asia-Pacific region (32 isolates), Europe (264 isolates), Latin America (210 isolates), and the Middle East (19 isolates, Israel only) and the United States (61 isolates). The majority of isolates were K. pneumoniae (83.4%); however, KPC was detected in 13 additional species. KPC-2 (69.6%) was more common than KPC-3 (29.5%), with regional variation observed. A novel KPC variant, KPC-18 (KPC-3[V8I]), was identified during the study. Few antimicrobial agents tested remained effective in vitro against KPC-producing isolates, with ceftazidime-avibactam (MIC90, 4 μg/ml), aztreonam-avibactam (MIC90, 0.5 μg/ml), and tigecycline (MIC90, 2 μg/ml) retaining the greatest activity against Enterobacteriaceae cocarrying KPC and other β-lactamases, whereas colistin (MIC90, 2 μg/ml) demonstrated the greatest in vitro activity against KPC-positive P. aeruginosa This analysis of surveillance data demonstrated that KPC is widely disseminated. KPC was found in multiple species of Enterobacteriaceae and P. aeruginosa and has now become a global problem.
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