title: Current status of carbapenemases in Latin America.
abstract: Enterobacteriaceae and non fermenting Gram-negative bacilli have become a threat to public health, in part due to their resistance to multiple antibiotic classes, which ultimately have led to an increase in morbidity and mortality. β-lactams are currently the mainstay for combating infections caused by these microorganisms, and β-lactamases are the major mechanism of resistance to this class of antibiotics. Within the β-lactamases, carbapenemases pose one of the gravest threats, as they compromise one of our most potent lines of defense, the carbapenems. Carbapenemases are being continuously identified worldwide; and in Latin America, numerous members of these enzymes have been reported. In this region, the high incidence of reports implies that carbapenemases have become a menace and that they are an issue that must be carefully studied and analyzed.
authors.affiliation: CIDEIM International Center for Medical Research and Training, Cali, Colombia.
authors.forename: Juan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Maya
authors.forename: Sory J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: Victor M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gotuzzo
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guzman-Blanco
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Labarca
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salles
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: Maria V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Villegas
mesh_terms: D040981:Acinetobacter baumannii / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015780:Carbapenems / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005843:Geography; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007843:Latin America; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015780:Carbapenems; D001618:beta-Lactamases; C063912:carbapenemase