Spread of Serratia marcescens coharboring aac(6')-Ib-cr, bla CTX-M, armA, and bla OXA-1 carried by conjugative IncL/M type plasmid in Korean hospitals.
The prevalence of aac(6')-Ib-cr and its associated genes and mobile elements was investigated in Serratia marcescens collected from 12 hospitals in Korea in 2005 and 2006. A total of 215 isolates (from 166 and 149 isolates collected in 2005 and 2006, respectively) were included in the study. Aac(6')-Ib-cr was detected in only two isolates collected in 2005 and in 12 isolates collected from three hospitals in 2006. All 12 isolates carried class 1 integron and coharbored bla(CTX-M) and armA. Bla(OXA-1) and ISCR1 were detected in 10 and 8 isolates, respectively. All 12 isolates carried IncL/M type plasmid and 6 of them also carried IncA/C type plasmid. Conjugal transfer was successful for 9 of 12 aac(6')-Ib-cr, all 12 bla(CTX-M), 8 of 12 armA, and 6 of 10 bla(OXA-1). Of the 12 transconjugants, IncL/M type plasmid, IntI1, ISEcp1, and ISCR1 were detected in 12, 9, 12, and 8, respectively. The transferability of aac(6')-Ib-cr, armA, and bla(OXA-1) was 100% for isolates harboring ISCR1, against 25%, 0%, and 0%, respectively, for isolates not harboring ISCR1. Both clonal and horizontal transfer were demonstrated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and plasmid profile analysis, respectively. Stringent infection control practices and further investigation of association between mobile elements and resistance genes are warranted.
Park
Yeon-Joon
YJ
Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea. yjpk@catholic.ac.kr
Kim
Soo-Young
SY
Yu
Jin Kyung
JK
Kim
Sang Il
SI
Uh
Young
Y
Hong
Seong Geun
SG
Jongwook
Lee
L
Kwak
Hyo-Sun
HS
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D009268:Nalidixic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D016868:Serratia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012706:Serratia marcescens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D009268:Nalidixic Acid; D002939:Ciprofloxacin