Comprehensive Genome Analysis of Colistin-Only-Sensitive KPC-2 and NDM1-1-Coproducing Klebsiella pneumoniae ST11 and Acinetobacter baumannii ST2 From a Critically Ill Patient With COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia: Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) of K. pneumoniae ST11 and A. baumannii ST2.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the issue of multidrug-resistant (MDR) infections, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs). This study documents the first known case of coinfection with two extensively drug-resistant (XDR) bacterial isolates in a critically ill patient with COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. Both XDR isolates were recovered from blood and were resistant to all tested antimicrobial agents except colistin. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) revealed that the K. pneumoniae isolate KP-JZ107 had sequence type 11 (ST11) and core genome MLST (cgMLST 304742), while the A. baumannii isolate AB-JZ67 had ST2 and cgMLST 785. KP-JZ107 was found to possess the virulence plasmid KpVP-type-1, carbapenemase genes bla _NDM and bla _KPC , and numerous antimicrobial-resistant genes (ARGs). The AB-JZ67 isolate had several biofilm-related genes, including biofilm-associated protein (BAP), csuE, and pgaB, and multiple ARGs, including bla _ADC-25, bla _OXA-23, and bla _OXA-66. Our findings suggest that the coexistence of KP-JZ107 and AB-JZ67 isolates may indicate their widespread presence in ICUs, requiring comprehensive surveillance studies across all hospitals.