Characterization of Acinetobacter baumannii and meropenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Canada: results of the CANWARD 2007-2009 study

A total of 66 (0.35% of overall isolates) Acinetobacter baumannii and 102 (0.55%) meropenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa were identified among 18 538 isolates collected from medical centers across Canada during the 2007-2009 period. A. baumannii was most frequently recovered from patients in intensive care units (ICUs; 42.4%) and was isolated mostly from blood cultures (53.0%) and respiratory tract specimens (33.3%). Colistin, meropenem, and amikacin were the most active agents against A. baumannii strains (≥ 92.4% coverage). Gentamicin, levofloxacin, and tigecycline were also active against this bacterial species (MIC(50) 1, 0.12, and 0.5 μg/mL, respectively). Multidrug resistance (MDR; resistance to ≥ 3 antimicrobial classes) was noted in only 4 strains (6.1%), and molecular typing revealed 6 clusters of 2 isolates per cluster that displayed >85% similarity on the dendrogram. Meropenem-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates were primarily obtained from patients in ICUs (40.2%) and the most prevalent specimen types were those collected from the respiratory tract (63.7%), followed by blood cultures (18.6%). Most of the meropenem-resistant P. aeruginosa were resistant to all antimicrobial agents tested, and low susceptibility rates were observed for levofloxacin (8.8%) and gentamicin (28.4%). Amikacin and colistin were active against 67.7% and 88.2% of the isolates, respectively. A total of 68.6% (n = 70) of meropenem-resistant P. aeruginosa were MDR. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis revealed 94 unique isolates and 2 small clusters (6 and 4 isolates, 1 hospital each). In summary, MDR A. baumannii are rare in Canada and, conversely, meropenem-resistant P. aeruginosa were mostly MDR; however, there was minimal clonal spread among these nonfermentative bacilli.