title: High incidence of New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to identify carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in a tertiary care hospital in Sharjah Emirate, to identify the plasmids carrying the carbapenemase genes and to reveal clonal relationships among the isolates. Two hundred and two clinically relevant isolates collected between September 2011 and October 2012 at Al-Qassimi hospital, Sharjah, were investigated for meropenem resistance. Strains with decreased susceptibility were further tested with the modified Hodge test, by EDTA and phenylboronic acid synergy and by E-test. The genes of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM), IMP, VIM, OXA-48, and KPC beta-lactamases were targeted by polymerase chain reaction and the genes were located on plasmids by Southern blotting. Clusters of the isolates were revealed by macrorestriction analysis. Seven percent of the isolates were originally found to be meropenem resistant, one isolate have lost its resistance during storage. All of the 13 resistant isolates were positive for the NDM-1 gene located on plasmids of 125 to >170 kb, while three isolates also carried the blaOXA-48-like genes. Clusters having repeatedly been isolated over the study period were identified. Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae carrying the blaNDM-1 gene is a fast emerging problem, emphasizing the potential role of the Middle East as a secondary reservoir for these organisms.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah , Sharjah, United Arab Emirates .
authors.forename: Nihar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dash
authors.forename: Debadatta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Panigrahi
authors.forename: Mansour Al
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Zarouni
authors.forename: Dania
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Darwish
authors.forename: Akela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghazawi
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sonnevend
authors.forename: Tibor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pal
authors.forename: Faten
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yasin
authors.forename: Shaikha Al
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hadi
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000077731:Meropenem; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010957:Plasmids; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013845:Thienamycins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014479:United Arab Emirates / Q000453:epidemiology; D018440:beta-Lactam Resistance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013845:Thienamycins; D001618:beta-Lactamases; D000077731:Meropenem