Outbreak of Acinetobacter baumannii producing the carbapenem-hydrolyzing oxacillinase OXA-58 in Rome, Italy

Microb Drug Resist. 2007 Spring;13(1):37-43. doi: 10.1089/mdr.2006.9995.

Abstract

In this study 45 epidemic and sporadic isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii were investigated by antimicrobial resistance, integron identifications and genotyping. Isolates were genotyped by random amplified polymorphism (RAPD) DNA and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Four different RAPD patterns were observed among the isolates of our collection, further discerned in six PFGE types. Two prevalent genotypes were identified, one corresponding to a carbapenem resistant epidemic clone, causing an outbreak at the intensive care unit of a hospital of Rome. Two class 1 integrons, carrying different gene cassette arrays, were identified among the two prevalent genotypes. Nucleotide analysis of the integron-variable regions revealed the presence of the aacA4, orfO, bla(OXA-20), and aacC1, orfX, orfX', aadA1 gene cassette arrays, respectively. All the carbapenem resistant strains analyzed in this study carried the bla (OXA-58) gene located on plasmids.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acinetobacter Infections / microbiology*
  • Acinetobacter baumannii / genetics*
  • Acinetobacter baumannii / isolation & purification
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
  • Bacteriological Techniques
  • Carbapenems / pharmacology*
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Integrons
  • Intensive Care Units
  • Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique
  • Rome / epidemiology
  • beta-Lactam Resistance / genetics*
  • beta-Lactamases / genetics*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Carbapenems
  • beta-Lactamases
  • oxacillinase