title: Emergence of VIM-producing Aeromonas caviae in Israeli hospitals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Resistance to carbapenems in Aeromonas species is rare and mediated mostly by the chromosomal cphA gene. Our aims were to describe the molecular characteristics of the first cases of VIM-producing Aeromonas caviae isolated from human samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  Carbapenem-resistant Aeromonas (CRA) spp. were isolated from rectal surveillance cultures. Bacterial identification was done by dnaJ sequencing. Detection of metallo-carbapenemase and other β-lactamase genes was done by PCR. Molecular typing was done by PFGE. The genetic environment of the blaVIM gene was determined by sequencing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five CRA were isolated from surveillance cultures in 2010-13; four were from Shaare Zedek Medical Center and one was from Laniado Hospital. All five isolates were identified as A. caviae and comprised four different pulsotypes. MICs ranged from 0.5 to 8 mg/L for imipenem and from 0.25 to 8 mg/L for meropenem. All isolates were resistant to gentamicin, susceptible to amikacin and ciprofloxacin (except one), and were positive for carbapenemase production in the modified Hodge and Carba NP tests. The carbapenemase genes blaVIM-1 and blaVIM-35 were located inside a class I integron with two different sizes to its variable region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first report of blaVIM in A. caviae from human samples and the first report of VIM-producing Gram-negative bacteria in Israel. This finding is alarming as this species may spread via water or sewage systems. Although infection due to Aeromonas spp. is rare, the presence of the gene on a mobile element is of concern due to the potential for dissemination to clinically important Gram-negative pathogens.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Infection Control, Ministry of Health, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Amos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.forename: Marc V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Assous
authors.forename: Svetlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paikin
authors.forename: Anastasiya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shulman
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miller-Roll
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hillel
authors.forename: Rima
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aronov
authors.forename: Yehuda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Carmeli
authors.forename: Mitchell J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Schwaber
mesh_terms: D057585:Aeromonas caviae / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D020071:Interspersed Repetitive Sequences; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D001618:beta-Lactamases
keywords: Aeromonas spp.; VIM carbapenemases; integrins