Activity of 9 beta-lactam antibiotics combined with clavulanic acid or sulbactam against the strains of broad-spectrum beta-lactamase (CTX-1) producing Enterobacteriaceae isolated at the Henri Mondor Hospital

Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of seven cephalosporins: cefotaxime (CTX), ceftriaxone (CRO), ceftazidime (CAZ), latamoxef (MOX), cefoxitin (FOX), cefotetan (CTT) and CM 40876 (CM), of aztreonam (ATM) and imipenem (IPM) were evaluated by agar dilution with and without 5 mg/l of clavulanic acid (AC) or sulbactam (SB) for 28 strains isolated in 1986 (15 K. pneumoniae, 3. K. oxytoca, 4 E. coli, 4 E. cloacae, 1 E. aerogenes and 1 C. freundii). Comparatively to MICs of sensitive strains and to those of cured variants, MICs of these strains were very increased for CTX, CRO, ATM (mode MIC: 1 mg/l), and CAZ (2); weakly increased for MOX and CTT (0.25), and identical for IMP (0.12-0.25), CM (0.06) and FOX (2-4), except for Enterobacter and Citrobacter (64). Association with AC or SB did not modify MICs of FOX, CM and IMP. For the other antibiotics, MICs were reduced by addition of AC: Klebsiella: 5 log2 for CTX and CRO, 4 for CAZ and ATM, 2 for MOX and CTT; E. coli: 4 log2 for CTX and ATM, 3 for CRO and CAZ, 1 for MOX and CTT; Enterobacter and Citrobacter 2 log2 for CTX, CRO, CAZ and ATM, 1 for MOX and CTT. With SB, decrease of MICs was two to for fold lesser than with AC. AC, and less efficiently SB, restored activity of CTX, CRO, CAZ and ATM on CTX-1 producing Enterobacteriaceae, particularly Klebsiella and E. coli. It was the same for MOX and CTT, weakly affected by this resistance. AC and SB had not effect on FOX, CM and IPM which remained active on these strains.     

Predictive biomarkers for drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates with bla(TEM-1), AmpC-type bla and integrase 1 genotypes.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We tested whether antibiotic susceptibilities of drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates could be used to predict the clinically important genotypes bla(TEM-1), AmpC-type bla, and integrase 1 gene (IntI1). METHODS: We analyzed 401 A. baumannii isolates obtained at Changhua Christian Hospital between April 2001 and March 2002. The isolates were all from blood cultures, and identification of A. baumannii was confirmed by API-20NE. Antibiotic susceptibility testing (phenotype) was performed by disk diffusion method. Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the genes bla(TEM-1), AmpC-type bla and IntI1. RESULTS: Of 32 A. baumannii isolates, 10 possessed bla(TEM-1), 21 AmpC-type bla, and 26 IntI1. Resistance to ceftazidime (CAZ) predicted bla(TEM-1) genotype with 63.6% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 55.6% positive predictive value (PPV) and 0% negative predictive value (NPV). Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT) and gentamicin (GM) resistance predicted IntI1 genotype with 83.3% sensitivity, 71.4% specificity, 95.2% PPV and 45.4% NPV. No resistance phenotype could predict the AmpC-type bla genotype. CONCLUSIONS: CAZ resistance predicted the bla(TEM-1) genotype with 100% specificity, and SXT and GM resistance predicted the IntI1 genotype with 92.5% PPV. Therefore, antibiotic susceptibilities to CAZ, SXT, and GM can be utilized clinically to detect critical genotypes in A. baumannii.     

Molecular epidemiology of sequential outbreaks of Acinetobacter baumannii in an intensive care unit shows the emergence of carbapenem resistance

The molecular epidemiology of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii was investigated in the medical-surgical intensive care unit (ICU) of a university hospital in Italy during two window periods in which two sequential A. baumannii epidemics occurred. Genotype analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of A. baumannii isolates from 131 patients identified nine distinct PFGE patterns. Of these, PFGE clones B and I predominated and occurred sequentially during the two epidemics. A. baumannii epidemic clones showed a multidrug-resistant antibiotype, being clone B resistant to all antimicrobials tested except the carbapenems and clone I resistant to all antimicrobials except ampicillin-sulbactam and gentamicin. Type 1 integrons of 2.5 and 2.2 kb were amplified from the chromosomal DNA of epidemic PFGE clones B and I, respectively, but not from the chromosomal DNA of the nonepidemic clones. Nucleotide analysis of clone B integron identified four gene cassettes: aacC1, which confers resistance to gentamicin; two open reading frames (ORFs) coding for unknown products; and aadA1a, which confers resistance to spectinomycin and streptomycin. The integron of clone I contained three gene cassettes: aacA4, which confers resistance to amikacin, netilmicin, and tobramycin; an unknown ORF; and bla(OXA-20), which codes for a class D beta-lactamase that confers resistance to amoxicillin, ticarcillin, oxacillin, and cloxacillin. Also, the bla(IMP) allele was amplified from chromosomal DNA of A. baumannii strains of PFGE type I. Class 1 integrons carrying antimicrobial resistance genes and bla(IMP) allele in A. baumannii epidemic strains correlated with the high use rates of broad-spectrum cephalosporins, carbapenems, and aminoglycosides in the ICU during the study period.     

Presence of OXA-23-producing isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii in wastewater from hospitals in southern Brazil

The aim of the study was to evaluate the dissemination of multiresistant isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii carrying resistance genes, by samples of wastewater from hospitals in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. We obtained 303 bacterial isolates from the wastewater of three hospitals in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. For each isolate, we determined the profile of susceptibility to antimicrobials and the presence of the genes bla(OXA-23), bla(OXA-24), bla(OXA-51), bla(OXA-58), bla(SPM-1), bla(IMP), and bla(VIM.) The bla(OXA-51) gene was found in 56% of the isolates, indicating the presence of A. baumannii in this environment. Of these, three multiresistant isolates were positive for the bla(OXA-23) gene, in wastewater from two of the hospitals. The results obtained in this study indicate that isolates of A. baumannii which are multiresistant and carry resistance genes such as bla(OXA-51) and bla(OXA-23) are being released into the environment in the wastewater from the hospitals analyzed. Multiresistant Acinetobacter junii, the newly emerging pathogen, were also found among the multiresistant isolates. Hospital wastewater may be crucial to the development and dispersal of multiresistant bacteria, making waterbodies reservoirs of bacterial resistance.     

Metallo-beta-lactamase VIM-2 in clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Portugal

Resistance to carbapenems is emerging, and it is a great problem to therapeutics. Three isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from a Portuguese hospital identified in urine and sputum, in 1995, presented a high-level resistance to imipenem (> 32 mg/L). Afterward, one isolate of P. aeruginosa recovered from urine of an ambulatory patient in 1998 showed high resistance to imipenem and meropenem. The resistance to carbapenems in these strains was associated with the production of a class B beta-lactamase, as was demonstrated by imipenem hydrolysis and inhibition by EDTA. Using primers described for bla(IMP) and bla(VIM), the amplification of the latter was observed in all isolates and a VIM-2 metallo-enzyme was identified. The pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns of these isolates were indistinguishable, suggesting dissemination to the community of this VIM-2 producer.     

Distinct antimicrobial resistance patterns and antimicrobial resistance-harboring genes according to genomic species of Acinetobacter isolates

Using 58 isolates of Acinetobacter species recovered from a university hospital between August 2004 and March 2005, we performed genomic identification by amplified rRNA gene restriction analysis (ARDRA) and investigated the existence of metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) producers and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers. Genomic species identification of Acinetobacter strains using ARDRA showed that 40 strains were genomic species 2 (Acinetobacter baumannii), 9 were 13 sensu Tjernberg and Ursing (13TU), 5 were Acinetobacter phenon 6/ct 13TU, and 4 were Acinetobacter genospecies 3. Among 58 strains, 13 isolates were MBL producers carrying bla(IMP-1) or bla(VIM-2) and 13 isolates were ESBL producers carrying bla(PER-1). Notably, the MBL producers were mostly 13TU, Acinetobacter phenon 6/ct 13TU, and Acinetobacter genospecies 3, which showed susceptibility to ciprofloxacin and ampicillin-sulbactam. However, 12 of 13 strains carrying bla(PER-1) were A. baumannii, showing multidrug resistance. The data revealed that the antimicrobial resistance patterns and resistance-harboring genes of Acinetobacter species are remarkably distinct according to the genomic species of Acinetobacter isolates.     

Outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa producing VIM-8, a novel metallo-beta-lactamase, in a tertiary care center in Cali, Colombia

The prevalence of imipenem resistance among Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates at a 195-bed tertiary care medical center in Cali, Colombia, rose from 2% in 1996 to 28% in 1997 and to over 40% in 2003. Many isolates showed high-level multiresistance, and phenotypic characterization suggested the spread of a predominant strain with minor variants. Sixty-six resistant isolates collected between February 1999 and July 2003 from hospitalized patients (n = 54) and environmental samples (n = 12) were subjected to a fuller analysis. Genetic fingerprints were compared by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of SpeI-digested genomic DNA, and bla(IMP) and bla(VIM) genes were sought by PCR. PFGE and serotyping indicated that 52 of the 66 isolates belonged to a single strain, with 82% similarity; the PFGE pattern for this organism was designated pattern A. Two further pairs of isolates represented single strains; the remaining nine isolates were unique, and in the case of one isolate, no satisfactory PFGE profile could be obtained. The pattern A isolates were mostly of serotype O12 and were highly resistant to imipenem (MICs, 32 to >256 microg/ml), with this resistance decreased eightfold or more in the presence of EDTA. They yielded amplicons with bla(VIM)-specific primers, and sequencing of DNA from a representative isolate revealed bla(VIM-8), a novel allele with three polymorphisms compared with the sequence of bla(VIM-2). Two of these nucleotide changes were silent, but the third determined a Thr139Ala substitution. Only 4 of 13 resistant isolates (2 clinical isolates and 2 environmental isolates) assigned to other PFGE types carried bla(VIM) alleles, whereas the others were less multiresistant and mostly had lower levels of imipenem resistance (MICs, < or =32 microg/ml) which was not significantly reduced by EDTA. No bla(IMP) alleles were detected. During 2003, when the environmental study was undertaken, serotype O12 isolates with bla(VIM) were recovered from sinks and stethoscopes in the most-affected units, although not from the hands of staff; the problem declined once these reservoirs were disinfected and hygienic precautions were reinforced.     

Nosocomial transmission of CTX-M-2 beta-lactamase-producing Acinetobacter baumannii in a neurosurgery ward

Three strains of cefotaxime (CTX)-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, FM0209680, FM0300106, and FM0301433, were isolated from transtracheal aspirate cultures of three patients with probable nosocomial infections in a neurosurgery ward in Japan. The CTX MICs for these isolates were greater than 128 microg/ml but were drastically reduced in the presence of 4 microg of clavulanic acid per ml. These strains were also resistant to ceftriaxone, cefpodoxime, and aztreonam but were susceptible to ceftazidime and imipenem. The profile of resistance to various broad-spectrum beta-lactams was transferred by conjugation. Strain FM0209680 was not eradicated from case patient 1 by administration of imipenem, ceftazidime, and levofloxacin, even after a 6-month hospitalization period. Strains FM0300106 and FM0301433 were isolated from case patients 2 and 3 during the sixth week following admission, respectively, and then each patient was colonized for 3 weeks. Eradication of FM0300106 was successfully obtained from case patient 2 by imipenem treatment, while administration of imipenem was continued to prevent pneumonia. Prophylactic antimicrobial therapy was discontinued in case patient 3 because of the lack of pneumonic symptoms, and FM0301433 disappeared after the discontinuation of antimicrobial chemotherapy. All three strains carried the bla(CTX-M-2) gene, and the appearance of colonies in the growth-inhibitory zones around disks of CTX and aztreonam in double-disk synergy tests suggested inducible beta-lactamase production in these A. baumannii strains. The ribotyping investigation suggested that all these strains belong to the same clonal lineage. The plasmids harbored by A. baumannii had the same restriction profile as those harbored by Proteus mirabilis strains previously isolated in a urology ward of the Funabashi Medical Center.     

Characterization of clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae from 19 laboratories using the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards extended-spectrum beta-lactamase detection methods

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are enzymes found in gram-negative bacilli that mediate resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins and aztreonam. In 1999, the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) published methods for screening and confirming the presence of ESBLs in Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Escherichia coli. To evaluate the confirmation protocol, we tested 139 isolates of K. pneumoniae that were sent to Project ICARE (Intensive Care Antimicrobial Resistance Epidemiology) from 19 hospitals in 11 U.S. states. Each isolate met the NCCLS screening criteria for potential ESBL producers (ceftazidime [CAZ] or cefotaxime [CTX] MICs were > or =2 microg/ml for all isolates). Initially, 117 (84%) isolates demonstrated a clavulanic acid (CA) effect by disk diffusion (i.e., an increase in CAZ or CTX zone diameters of > or =5 mm in the presence of CA), and 114 (82%) demonstrated a CA effect by broth microdilution (reduction of CAZ or CTX MICs by > or =3 dilutions). For five isolates, a CA effect could not be determined initially by broth microdilution because of off-scale CAZ results. However, a CA effect was observed in two of these isolates by testing cefepime and cefepime plus CA. The cefoxitin MICs for 23 isolates that failed to show a CA effect by broth microdilution were > or =32 microg/ml, suggesting either the presence of an AmpC-type beta-lactamase or porin changes that could mask a CA effect. By isoelectric focusing (IEF), 7 of the 23 isolates contained a beta-lactamase with a pI of > or =8.3 suggestive of an AmpC-type beta-lactamase; 6 of the 7 isolates were shown by PCR to contain both ampC-type and bla(OXA) genes. The IEF profiles of the remaining 16 isolates showed a variety of beta-lactamase bands, all of which had pIs of < or =7.5. All 16 isolates were negative by PCR with multiple primer sets for ampC-type, bla(OXA), and bla(CTX-M) genes. In summary, 83.5% of the K. pneumoniae isolates that were identified initially as presumptive ESBL producers were positive for a CA effect, while 5.0% contained beta-lactamases that likely masked the CA effect. The remaining 11.5% of the isolates studied contained beta-lactamases that did not demonstrate a CA effect. An algorithm based on phenotypic analyses is suggested for evaluation of such isolates.     

Presence of Pseudomonas putida strains harboring plasmids bearing the metallo-beta-lactamase gene bla(IMP) in a hospital in Japan

To determine the persistence and spread of antibiotic-resistant strains in Gunma University Hospital, 83 Pseudomonas putida strains (each from a different patient) were isolated from January 1997 through December 2001. Of the 83 strains isolated, 27 were resistant to carbapenems. All 27 produced metallo-beta-lactamase and were found to be PCR positive for the bla(IMP) gene. Most (22 strains) were primarily isolated from the wards (W7 [9 strains] and W4 [8 strains]). Another five bla(IMP)-positive P. putida strains from wards W7 and W4 were obtained by swabbing around the water pipes. A total of 32 bla(IMP)-positive P. putida strains were assessed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and testing of drug susceptibility to 10 chemotherapeutic agents. Both PFGE and MIC patterns revealed that there were long-term resident strains among inpatients and hospital environments. The bla(IMP) genes of 22 of 32 strains were all transferable to a recipient strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by conjugation or transformation and conferred resistance to carbapenems and cephems. The bla(IMP) plasmids were conjugally transmissible among P. aeruginosa strains and mediated resistance to amikacin as well as beta-lactams. Ten of the 22 plasmids mediated additional resistance to gentamicin and tobramycin. Plasmids with identical DNA and drug resistance patterns were found in P. putida strains with identical PFGE patterns and with different PFGE patterns. We presumed that P. putida was one of the resident species in inpatients and especially in hospital environments, spreading drug resistance genes via plasmids among P. putida strains and supplying them to more pathogenically important species, such as P. aeruginosa.     

High prevalence of carbapenem-hydrolysing oxacillinases in epidemiologically related and unrelated Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates in Spain

Carbapenem-hydrolysing oxacillinases are reported increasingly in Acinetobacter baumannii. This study investigated the role of these beta-lactamases in causing resistance to carbapenems in 83 epidemiologically related and unrelated imipenem-resistant A. baumannii clinical isolates. The isolates were also analysed for the presence of ISAba1 in the promoter region of the bla(OXA-51)-like gene in order to investigate the role of ISAba1 in OXA-51 expression. All clinical isolates contained a bla(OXA-51)-like gene, 20% contained a bla(OXA-58)-like gene, and 42% contained a bla(OXA-40)-like gene; bla(OXA-23)-like, bla(IMP) and bla(VIM) genes were not detected in any of the isolates investigated. ISAba1 was found in 24 (82.7%) of 28 pulsetypes, and was located in the promoter region of the bla(OXA-51)-like gene in five (20.8%) of these pulsetypes. Expression of bla(OXA-51) was detected in the five isolates with ISAba1 located in the promoter region, but was not detected in an isogenic imipenem-susceptible A. baumannii isolate that did not have ISAba1 located in the promoter region. It was concluded that there is a high prevalence of oxacillinases with activity against carbapenems among genetically unrelated A. baumannii clinical isolates from Spain, and that concomitant expression of two carbapenemases (OXA-51-like and either OXA-40-like or OXA-58-like) may take place. Insertion of an ISAba1-like element in the promoter of the bla(OXA-51)-like gene promotes the expression of this gene, although this did not seem to play a major role in carbapenem resistance.     

In vitro activity of tigecycline and comparators against gram-negative bacteria isolated from a tertiary hospital in Alexandria, Egypt

The emergence of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, in particular Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, has necessitated the search for alternative therapy by either introducing new agents or renewing interest in old agents. This study compares the in vitro activity of tigecycline (TIG), recently introduced to Egyptian market, to other potentially active antimicrobials as Colistin (COL), imipenem (IPM), levofloxacin (LEV), and piperacillin/tazobactam (PIP/TAZ) against 67 Gram-negative clinical isolates obtained from El- Meery Hospital in Alexandria, Egypt. El-Meery Hospital is a 1,500-bed tertiary teaching hospital where TIG has not been previously used. Based on MIC(90)s, TIG was found to be a comparator to IPM and COL (MIC(90)= 8?μg/ml). LEV and PIP/TAZ were less active than TIG exhibiting high MIC(90)s. TIG inhibited 100% of Escherichia coli and K. pneumoniae and 60% of Ps. aeruginosa and A. baumannii isolates. In time-kill studies against IPM-resistant isolates, TIG showed bactericidal activity after 6 hours of contact against the Enterobacteriaceae isolates and after 3 hours for the tested Ps. aeruginosa isolates at 4× and 8× MIC. Against A. baumannii, TIG exerted a bacteriostatic effect. TIG demonstrated variable ability to suppress biofilm formation affecting mainly E. coli and A. baumannii isolates. These results point TIG to be a promising agent in treatment of infections caused by strains for which adequate therapy has been limited. As far as we know, this is the first report evaluating the in vitro activity of TIG against Egyptian clinical isolates.     

深圳地区铜绿假单胞菌医院感染及耐药性

目的了解铜绿假单胞菌(队)引起医院感染的特点以及对抗生素的耐药性的变化趋势．方法对2001-2003年分离出的317株铜绿假单胞菌选用12种抗生素进行药敏实验，按NCCLS标准判断．结果该菌主要来源于痰液和咽拭子(65％)，主要分布在呼吸科(12％)、脑外科(12％)、ICU(10％)、新生儿科(9％)、呼吸科ICU(7％)、老年病科(7％)．2001年．2003年铜绿假单胞菌对环丙沙星耐药率呈上升趋势，2001年-2002年对头孢噻肟耐药呈直线上升，2003年稍有下降．2001年．2003年对哌拉西林(PIP)、哌拉西林／他唑巴坦(TZP)、庆大霉素(GEN)、阿米卡星(AMK)、头孢吡肟(FEP)、氨曲南(ATM)、头孢他啶(CAZ)耐药率呈下降趋势．2001年-2002年对亚胺培南(IPM)、美罗培南(MEM)耐药率呈显著下降趋势，2002年-2003年稍有上升．对头孢曲松(CRO)耐药率相对稳定．结论了解铜绿假单胞菌的耐药现状，有利于为临床合理用药提供依据．     

伤寒沙门菌PFGE分子分型及耐药性研究

目的对深圳市2004—2011年伤寒沙门菌进行脉冲场凝胶电泳（PFGE）分子分型及耐药性分析,为临床用药和追踪传染源提供依据。方法采用K-B法对42株伤寒沙门菌进行20种抗菌药物敏感性测试,并用PFGE对其进行分子分型。结果42株伤寒沙门菌株对氨苄西林、阿莫西林／克拉维酸、氨苄西林／舒巴坦、头孢噻吩、头孢他啶、头孢曲松、头孢吡肟、头孢西丁、阿米卡星、庆大霉素、卡那霉素、环丙沙星、左旋氧氟沙星、复方新诺明、甲氧苄啶、氯霉素和四环素17种药物的敏感率均超过90％,对萘啶酸耐药率最高达61．5％。42株伤寒沙门菌株可分为SZ0001～SZ0028共28个PFGE型别,其中流行优势型为SZ0023型别。结论结合药物敏感试验结果和PFGE分子分型结果可以判断伤寒疫情的优势株型。     

中国重症监护病房1994～2001年间不常见肠杆菌科细菌耐药监测

目的　调查近 7年全国 3 2家医院重症监护病房分离的 10 2 79株革兰阴性菌中 577株不常见的肠杆菌科细菌对 7种 β 内酰胺抗生素的耐药变迁。方法　 8年中共分离 577株产酸克雷伯菌、黏质沙雷菌、奇异变形杆菌、普通变形杆菌和摩根摩根菌。并分成 3组 :1994～ 1996年 ,1998～19 99年 ,2 0 0 0～ 2 0 0 1年。用Etest检测它们对下列 7种抗生素的最小抑菌浓度 (MIC) :包括亚胺培南(IPM)、头孢他啶 (CAZ)、头孢噻肟 (CTX)、头孢曲松 (CRO)、头孢哌酮 舒巴坦 (CSL)、哌拉西林 三唑巴坦 (PTZ)、头孢吡肟 (FEP)。按照美国临床实验标准委员会 2 0 0 3年标准指南 (NCCLSA10 0S 13 ) 〔10〕解释MIC值为耐药、中介和敏感 ,用WHONET 5.2软件分析数据。结果　这 5种不常见肠杆菌科细菌在2 0 0 1年所有分离菌株数中的排位是 :产酸克雷伯菌第 8位 ,敏感的抗生素 (即敏感率绝大多数年份 >80 % )依次为IPM、FEP、CAZ、TZP、CSL(10 0 %～ 83 .3 % )。黏质沙雷菌第 14位 ,敏感的抗生素依次为IPM、CAZ、TZP、CSL(10 0 %～ 87% )。奇异变形杆菌第 9位 ,敏感的抗生素依次为FEP、CAZ、IPM、TZP、CTX、CRO、CSL(10 0 %～ 83 .8% )。普通变形杆菌和摩根摩根菌分别为第 16位、17位 ,敏感的抗生素依次为CSL、IPM、FEP、TZP、CRO(1     

Molecular and phenotypic characterization of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates resistant to kanamycin,amikacin, and capreomycin in China

Although second-line anti-tuberculosis (TB) injectable drugs have been widely used to improve treatment outcomes of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), little is known about the prevalence and mechanism of second-line injectable drug resistance among MDR Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates in China. Here, we found that 12.7 % (20/158) of isolates showed resistance to at least one second-line injectable drug among 158 MDR isolates. At the same time, there were 16 (10.1 %) strains resistant to kanamycin (KAN), 9 (5.7 %) to amikacin (AMK), and 12 (7.6 %) to capreomycin (CAP). In addition, our data revealed no significant difference in the drug resistance patterns for Beijing versus non-Beijing genotype strains (p?>?0.05). The most frequently observed mutation was A-to-G substitution at position 1401 of the rrs gene, conferring high-level resistance to KAN and AMK, but had varying minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for CAP. The mutations in the eis promoter and tlyA gene were responsible for low-level resistance to CAP. 83.3 % of A1401G substitutions in the rrs gene was observed in Beijing genotype strains, while the difference was not significant (p?=?0.157). Our data demonstrated that the hot-spot regions localized in the rrs gene serve as excellent markers for AMK, but is not a sensitive marker for KAN and CAP. In addition, the cross-resistance patterns and MICs differed among different genetic mutation types, which challenge the practice in China of generalizing resistance to AMK and CAP based on the resistance to KAN alone. Our findings suggested that the individualized drug susceptibility to three major second-line injectable drugs is essential in order to generate more effective treatment regimens for MDR patients.     

Characterization of AmpC-mediated resistance in clinical Salmonella isolates recovered from humans during the period 1992 to 2003 in England and Wales

The increase in AmpC-mediated resistance in salmonellae constitutes a serious public health concern, since these enzymes confer resistance to a wide range of beta-lactams. One hundred six isolates were selected from 278,308 Salmonella isolates based on resistance to ampicillin and cephalosporins and were subjected to further characterization. Nine isolates had a cefoxitin inhibition diameter < or = 17 mm and were proven to be AmpC positive by multiplex PCR. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of bla(DHA-1), bla(CMY-2), and bla(CMY-4) genes. All nine isolates presented different pulsed-field gel electrophoresis restriction profiles. The AmpC genetic determinants were present in transferable plasmids of around 11, 42, 70, 98, and 99 MDa. A combination of size and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis showed that all the bla(CMY) plasmids investigated in our study were different, which suggests that bla(CMY) may be located in different plasmid environments. Some United Kingdom isolates linked to foreign travel showed RFLP plasmid patterns consistent with plasmids previously seen in the United States, which suggests that bla(CMY-2) has also been disseminated through plasmid transfer. The fact that two of the domestically acquired United Kingdom isolates presented previously unseen RFLP plasmid patterns could indicate that these strains have followed routes different from those prevalent in North America or other parts of the world. This study represents the first report of bla(CMY) genes in Salmonella isolates in the United Kingdom and the first report of CMY-4 in Salmonella enterica serotype Senftenberg worldwide.     

Prevalence of OXA-type β-lactamases among Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from Northwest of Iran

Carbapenems have been considered as last line antibiotics for treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii but carbapenem resistant A. baumannii has been increased during the last decade in many parts of the world. OXA-type β-lactamase enzymes are the most common cause of carbapenem resistance in A. baumannii and presence of ISAba1 in upstream of these genes may increase the expression of these OXA genes. The aim of this study was to determine, for the first time, the antibiotic resistance pattern and prevalence of OXA type β-lactamases among nosocomial A. baumannii isolates from northwest of Iran. A total of 100 A. baumannii isolates were recovered from hospitalized patients in a university hospital in northwest of Iran. Sixty-two percent of isolates were resistant to imipenem. All isolates carried bla(OXA-51)-like gene. Among imipenem resistant isolates, 88.7% carried bla(OXA-23)-like, 1.6% carried bla(OXA-40)-like, and 3.2% had bla(OXA-58)-like resistance genes. Ninety percent of isolates contained ISAba1 element and in 74.2% of imipenem resistant isolates, ISAba1 was located in upstream of bla(OXA-23)-like. The results of this study demonstrated high prevalence of OXA-type carbapenemase among MDR A. bumanii in the Northwest of Iran.     

Outbreak of Infection with Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Carrying blaIMP-8 in a University Medical Center in Taiwan

Klebsiella pneumoniae strains with the transferable carbapenem-hydrolyzing metallo-beta-lactamases, which include IMP- and VIM-type enzymes, remain extremely rare. To investigate whether IMP- or VIM-producing K. pneumoniae isolates had spread at a university medical center in Taiwan, a total of 3,458 clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae consecutively collected in 1999 and 2000 were tested by the agar diffusion method, colony hybridization, PCR, and nucleotide sequencing. A total of 40 isolates (1.2%), or 17 nonrepetitive isolates, from 16 patients were found to carry bla(IMP-8), a metallo-beta-lactamase gene recently identified from a K. pneumoniae strain in Taiwan. Carriage of bla(VIM) or other bla(IMP) genes was detected in none of the remaining isolates. Of the 17 nonrepetitive bla(IMP-8)-positive isolates, 15 isolates (88.2%) appeared susceptible to imipenem (MICs, 相似文献   

Molecular epidemiology of a clonal outbreak of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in a university hospital in Italy

This study investigated the molecular epidemiology of a clonal outbreak of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii that occurred between June 2003 and June 2004 in a tertiary-care hospital in Naples, Italy. A. baumannii was isolated from 74 patients, of whom 38 were infected and 36 were colonised. Thirty-three patients had ventilator-associated pneumonia, three had hospital-acquired pneumonia, and two had sepsis. Genotypic analysis of 45 available A. baumannii isolates revealed two distinct pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns. Of these, PFGE pattern 1 was represented by isolates from 44 patients and was identical to that of an epidemic A. baumannii clone isolated in another hospital of Naples during 2002. All A. baumannii isolates of PFGE type 1 showed identical multiresistant antibiotypes, characterised by resistance to all antimicrobial agents tested, including carbapenems, with the exception of colistin. In these isolates, inhibition of OXA enzymes by 200 mM NaCl reduced the imipenem MIC by up to four-fold. Molecular analysis of antimicrobial resistance genes showed that all A. baumannii isolates of PFGE type 1 harboured a class 1 integron containing the aacA4, orfX and bla(OXA-20) gene cassettes, an ampC gene and a bla(OXA-51)-like allele. Moreover, a bla(OXA-58)-like gene surrounded by the regulatory elements ISAba2 and ISAba3 was identified in a 30-kb plasmid from A. baumannii isolates of PFGE type 1, but not PFGE type 2. Thus, selection of a single A. baumannii clone producing an OXA-58-type carbapenem-hydrolysing oxacillinase was responsible for the increase in the number of A. baumannii infections that occurred in this hospital.