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Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) is an important bacterium of nosocomial infections. In this study, CRKP strains, which were mainly isolated from fecal samples of 14 patients in three wards of the hospital in the Silesia Voivodship, rapidly increased from February to August 2018. Therefore, we conducted microbiological and molecular studies of the CRKP isolates analyzed. Colonized patients had critical underlying diseases and comorbidities; one developed bloodstream infection, and five died (33.3%). Antibiotic susceptibilities were determined by the E-test method. A disc synergy test confirmed carbapenemase production. CTX-Mplex PCR evaluated the presence of resistance genes bla CTX-M-type, bla CTX-M-1, bla CTX-M-9, and the genes bla SHV, bla TEM, bla KPC-2, bla NDM-1, bla OXA-48, bla IMP, and bla VIM-1 was detected with the PCR method. Clonality was evaluated by Multi Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) and Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE). Six (40%) strains were of XDR (Extensively Drug-Resistant) phenotype, and nine (60%) of the isolates exhibited MDR (Multidrug-Resistant) phenotype. The range of carbapenem minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs, μg/mL) was as follows doripenem (16 to >32), ertapenem (> 32), imipenem (4 to > 32), and meropenem (> 32). PCR and sequencing confirmed the bla CTX-M-15, bla KPC-2, bla OXA-48, and bla VIM-1 genes in all strains. The isolates formed one large PFGE cluster (clone A). MLST assigned them to the emerging high-risk clone of ST147 (CC147) pandemic lineage harboring the bla OXA-48 gene. This study showed that the K. pneumoniae isolates detected in the multi-profile medical centre in Katowice represented a single strain of the microorganism spreading in the hospital environment.

A b s t r a c t Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococci, GBS) constitutes a risk factor for infections of the newborns born by colonized mothers. "e adherence of GBS to epithelial cells has been proved to be an important factor in the colonization of mucus membranes of both human rectum and vagina. "e objective of the study was to assess the adhesion of the selected GBS strains to!the!human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (HT-29) and human epidermoid vulvo-vaginal cells (A-431) in relation to the capsular polysaccharides and alpha-like protein genes. GBS strains from the human sources belonging to Ia, Ib, II, III and V serotypes possessing di/erent surface alpha-like protein genes such as the alp 2, alp 3, bca , epsilon and rib in the conventional adherence assay were examined. "e adherence of GBS strains to the HT-29 cell line was considerably higher than to the A-431 cell line. For GBS serotype Ia and III, a significant di/erence between the adhesion to the HT-29 and A-431 cell lines was presented. "e adhesion of GBS strains to the HT-29 cell line depended on alpha-like protein genes. "e most adhesive ones were the GBS strains containing the rib and alp 2 genes. "e adherence of GBS strains to the A-431 cell line depended on both their serotype and alpha-like protein genes. Serotype III adhered to the A-431 cells most tightly, particularly the strains contain- ing the rib and alp 2 genes. GBS strains containing the rib gene adhered to the HT-29 and A-431 cell lines more firmly than GBS strains containing other alpha-like protein genes. K e y w o r d s: adherence, alpha-like protein genes, capsular polysaccharides (CPS), cell lines, group B Streptococci (GBS)