Outbreak of infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa producing VIM-1 carbapenemase in Greece.
Resistance to imipenem and meropenem was observed in 211 (16.5%) isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa recovered in a Greek university hospital during 1996 to 1998. In six isolates selected from throughout this period, high-level resistance to both carbapenems (MICs >/= 128 microg/ml) was associated with production of the class B beta-lactamase VIM-1. bla(VIM)-bearing isolates belonged to serotype O:12 and were indistinguishable by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.
Tsakris
A
A
Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54 006 Thessaloniki, Greece. atsakris@med.auth.gr
Pournaras
S
S
Woodford
N
N
Palepou
M F
MF
Babini
G S
GS
Douboyas
J
J
Livermore
D M
DM
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D015378:Imipenem / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007297:Inpatients; D000077731:Meropenem; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012703:Serotyping; D013845:Thienamycins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D013845:Thienamycins; D015378:Imipenem; D001618:beta-Lactamases; C063912:carbapenemase; D000077731:Meropenem