Detection of carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter baumannii in a hospital.
Acinetobacter baumannii strains resistant to both imipenem (IPM) and ceftazidime (CAZ) were isolated from 1994 through 1996 at Gunma University Hospital. Nine isolates from different inpatients were examined for carbapenem-hydrolyzing activity and for the carbapemase gene bla(IMP) by the PCR method. All nine isolates were carbapenemase-producing strains that hydrolyzed IPM and that harbored bla(IMP). The bla(IMP) gene was transmissible by conjugation to an IPM-susceptible recipient strain of A. baumannii and conferred resistance to IPM, CAZ, cefotaxime (CTX), ampicillin (AMP), and piperacillin (PIP). Either intermediate or high-level resistance to amikacin (AMK) was transferred from two and five strains, respectively, concomitantly with bla(IMP), and gentamicin (GEN) resistance was also transferred in one instance of high-level AMK resistance. Comparative examination of clinical isolates for resistance patterns to nine drugs, IPM, CAZ, CTX, aztreonam, AMP, PIP, AMK, GEN, and norfloxacin, in addition to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns with NotI-digested genomic DNA, confirmed nosocomial transmission of infections involving carbapenemase-producing A. baumannii strains.
Takahashi
A
A
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Clinical Laboratory Center, Gunma University School of Medicine, 3-39-22, Showa-machi, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan.
Yomoda
S
S
Kobayashi
I
I
Okubo
T
T
Tsunoda
M
M
Iyobe
S
S
D000150:Acinetobacter / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D000151:Acinetobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002442:Ceftazidime / Q000494:pharmacology; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000494:pharmacology; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D015378:Imipenem / Q000494:pharmacology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013845:Thienamycins / Q000494:pharmacology; D018440:beta-Lactam Resistance; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002511:Cephalosporins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D013845:Thienamycins; D015378:Imipenem; D002442:Ceftazidime; D001618:beta-Lactamases; C063912:carbapenemase