Biofilm formation of multidrug and extensively drug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniaeisolates is poorly understood. We investigated 139 diverse clinical K. pneumoniaeisolates that possess various resistance patterns to evaluate the relationship between biofilm formation and resistance. Antimicrobial resistance was compared among a diverse collection of weak versus strong biofilm-forming K. pneumoniae, and predictors of strong biofilm formation were identified. Multi-drug resistant isolates were more common among weak (97.9%) versus strong biofilm formers (76%; P = 0.002). Carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae were 91% less likely to form strong biofilm (odds ratio 0.09; 95% confidence interval 0.02–0.33). The statistically significant inverse relationship between biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance suggests that virulence may be a trade-off for survival.
Cusumano, J. A., Caffrey, A. R., Daffinee, K. E., Luther, M. K., Lopes, V., & LaPlante, K. L. (2019). Weak biofilm formation among carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease, 95(4), 114877. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2019.114877
Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2019.114877