Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase genes (bla(KPC)) play an important role in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in China. A rapid detection method for bla(KPC) genes and investigations into the molecular characteristics of bla(KPC) positive Klebsiella pneumoniae were necessary. In this study, an easy and rapid recombinase aided amplification assay (RAA) for bla(KPC) was established. This protocol could be completed at 39°C in 15-20 min. The sensitivity of this assay was determined as 48 copies per reaction, and the specificity was 100%. The bla(KPC) RAA method could be used for clinical diagnosis and epidemiological investigation. Among 801 fecal samples from inpatients, 34 bla(KPC) positive isolates were identified from each sample, of which 23 isolates were K. pneumoniae. ST11 with bla(KPC-2) was the most prevalent type. All these strains were multidrug resistant and carried various virulence genes. Fecal carriage of bla(KPC) positive carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae poses significant challenges for public health control.