Investigation of antibiotic resistance plasmids in clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates using PCR-based replicon typing and whole genome sequencing

The study investigated antibiotic resistance plasmids from carbapenem-resistant and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates collected from hospitals in Pretoria, South Africa. The collected data included patient demographics, antibiotic susceptibility profiles, as well as screened carbapenemase and ESBL genes. Plasmid replicon typing was conducted using the PCR-based replicon typing (PBRT) technique and whole genome sequencing (Illumina MiSeq).