Researchers discover conjugative plasmid that augments virulence in superbug

Description

A recent research led by Professor Chen Sheung, the Acting Head of Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has discovered an easily transmitted DNA piece that can make a new type of hyper-resistant and deadly superbug become hyper-virulent quickly, posing an unprecedented threat to human health.

In 2017, Professor Chen, who then worked at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, together with his research team and collaborators from Zhejiang University, discovered a new strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae which was not only resistant to carbapenem – a highly effective antibiotic commonly used for treating severe or high-risk bacterial infections, but also hyper-virulent and highly transmissible. 

Recently, the team discovered that this Klebsiella variicola strain actually carries a new plasmid -  a ring-shaped piece of DNA, which harbours the key genes of the virulence plasmid commonly found in hyper-virulent Klebsiella pneumoniae. 

Their findings were published in Lancet Infectious Diseases and Nature Microbiology.