WGS invasive K. pneumoniae and E. coli isolates from neonates in Benin

In the scope of working out a protective vaccine, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is looking for whole genome sequence data of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli isolates from blood cultures sampled in neonates worldwide. The KLEBECO study addresses the K. pneumoniae and E. coli isolates obtained from blood cultures sampled in neonates as part of the project “Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance among consecutive blood culture isolates in tropical settings, v7.0” sampled in collaboration with ITM partner Prof. AFFOLABI at the Supranational Reference Laboratory Mycobacteriology (LRM, Cotonou, Benin) who is subgrantee. A total of Isolates of 141 Klebsiella pneumoniae and 30 Escherichia coli are recorded and stored in 4 hospitals in Benin. They will be retrieved and sequenced at LRM and shipped to ITM for MALDI-TOF identification and extended susceptibility testing. The Whole Genome Sequence data will also be used for (i) detection of molecular markers for antimicrobial resistance and virulence and for (ii) detection of reservoir and transmission of an outbreak of neonatal Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infections (comparison of clinical isolates with environmental isolates of the suspected reservoir.