Phylogenomic characterization of K. kingae

Kingella kingae is an emerging pediatric pathogen that is commonly found in the oropharynx of children < 48 months of age. While most children tolerate colonization without complications, a subset develop severe invasive disease, such as septic arthritis, osteomyelitis, or endocarditis. This study sought to define genetic determinants associated with virulence in the K. kingae population by generating assembled genomes for a large collection of clinical isolates.