Stalking a lethal superbug by whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetics: Influence on unraveling a major hospital outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae.

•Phylogenetic analysis based on whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was superior to conventional descriptive epidemiological methods for reconstructing of transmission pathways.•Intensification of microbiological screening significantly helped to improve the detection of transmission pathways by uncovering “silent” transmissions.•Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the source of the outbreak.•WGS and phylogenetics should be started as soon as possible in a bacterial outbreak situation.•Due to advances in sequencing and in information technologies, respective results could be available almost in “real-time” in future outbreak situations.