atypical klebsiella species in a third level hospital as cause of neonatal infection

Background: the opportunistic pathogen klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the main causes of pediatric bacterial blood stream infec- tions (bsi), which is complicated with sepsis and high mortality. objectives: to identify atypical klebsiella species affecting a sample of infected neonates with low antimicrobial response. methods: multidrug resistant blood cultures for klebsiella from a neonatal service, were submitted to molecular identification by sequencing analysis of 16s ribosomal rna. results: the mean age of the newborns was 14.7 ± 5.6 days. a total of 6 out of 8 cases were sepsis, 1 case of pneumonia, and 1 a catheter- related infection. the molecular identification showed 3 cases of k. pneumoniae subsp. ozaenae, 2 of k. pneumoniae and k. variicola, and 1 case of k. oxytoca. the highest antimicrobial resistance was against cephalosporins and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. conclusions: klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. ozaenae was responsible for multidrug resistant strains of klebsiella even in 37.5% of cases. in our clinical setting, the use of amikacin and carbapenems are still useful to treat neonatal infections by klebsiella even against k. variicola, which is the most resistant.