Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP), a Gram-negative bacterium of the Enterobacteriaceae family, is a major opportunistic pathogen responsible for severe infections, particularly urinary tract infections (UTIs). The increasing incidence of KP infections poses a significant challenge to global healthcare systems. METHODS: In this study, we isolated KP strains from UTI patients and performed antimicrobial susceptibility testing, whole-genome sequencing (WGS), and comprehensive genomic analyses to delineate their molecular characteristics. RESULTS: Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) identified 41 sequence types (STs), with ST11 being the most prevalent. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that most local strains clustered closely with the globally disseminated KP clonal group 258 (CG258), suggesting a potential origin from this epidemic lineage. All isolates carried virulence and antibiotic resistance genes, with ST11 strains exhibiting the highest resistance gene burden, classifying them as multidrug-resistant (MDR). We further characterized the plasmid pNDM-MAR and identified biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) for redox-cofactors, azole-containing RiPPs, terpene precursors, NRP-metallophores, type I polyketide synthases (T1PKS), RiPP-like compounds, and non-ribosomal peptide synthetase-independent siderophores (NI-siderophores). DISCUSSION: These findings underscore the convergence of hypervirulence and multidrug resistance in KP, highlighting the need for continuous genomic surveillance to inform infection control strategies and antimicrobial stewardship.