First Report on a Hyperepidemic Clone of KPC-3-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in Israel Genetically Related to a Strain Causing Outbreaks in the United States

A highly epidemic carbapenem-resistant clone of KPC-3-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae emerged in Israel in 2006, causing a nationwide outbreak. This clone was genetically related to outbreak strains from the United States isolated in 2000 but differed in KPC-carrying plasmids. The threat of the global spread of hyperepidemic, extensively drug-resistant bacterial strains should be recognized and...