Global Phylogeography and Genomic Epidemiology of Carbapenem-Resistant bla(OXA-232)–Carrying Klebsiella pneumoniae Sequence Type 15 Lineage

Prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) has compromised antimicrobial efficacy against severe infections worldwide. To monitor global spread, we conducted a comprehensive genomic epidemiologic study comparing sequences from 21 bla(OXA-232)–carrying CRKP isolates from China with K. pneumoniae sequence type (ST) 15 strains from 68 countries available in GenBank. Phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses revealed all bla(OXA-232)–carrying CRKP isolates belonged to ST15 lineage and exhibited multidrug resistance. Analysis grouped 330 global bla(OXA-232)–carrying ST15 CRKP strains into 5 clades, indicating clonal transmission with small genetic distances among multiple strains. The lineage originated in the United States, then spread to Europe, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. Most recent common ancestor was traced back to 2000; mutations averaged ≈1.7 per year per genome. Our research helps identify key forces driving global spread of bla(OXA-232)–carrying CRKP ST15 lineage and emphasizes the importance of ongoing surveillance of epidemic CRKP.