title: Co-transmission of Rahnella aquatilis between hospitalized patients.
abstract: Rahnella aquatilis is an environmental Gram-negative bacillus that is rarely reported as human pathogen, being mainly associated with infections in immunocompromised patients. Herein we describe two cases of R. aquatilis isolates recovered from endotracheal aspirate cultures of different patients in a tertiary hospital located in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and 16S rDNA gene sequencing were performed to confirm bacterial identification after the isolates being erroneously identified as Pantoea spp. by automated system. Both isolates showed the same PFGE pattern and presented the β-lactamase encoding gene blaRAHN-1, responsible for resistance to cephalothin. The isolates were susceptible to broad-spectrum cephalosporins, carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, and polymyxin B. This report shows the presence and transmission of uncommon bacteria in the nosocomial environment and alerts us about the need for new tools of correct microbiologic diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Especial de Microbiologia Clínica (LEMC), Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina/Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: willamesbrasileiro@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Willames
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Especial de Microbiologia Clínica (LEMC), Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina/Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cecília Godoy
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Carvalhaes
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Especial de Microbiologia Clínica (LEMC), Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina/Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cayô
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Especial de Microbiologia Clínica (LEMC), Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina/Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Cristina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Gales
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Especial de Microbiologia Clínica (LEMC), Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina/Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Laboratório DASA, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Hospital 9 de Julho, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antonio Carlos
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Pignatari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D020638:Rahnella / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: Bacteria identification; Environmental bacteria; MALDI-TOF MS; Rahnella spp.