Emergence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains Producing Metallo-beta-lactamases of the IMP-15 and VIM-2 types in Mexico

F.QUIÑONES-FALCONI, M.GALICIA-VELASCO, P.MARCHIARO, V.BALLERINI, M.MUSSI, A.J.VILA, A.M. VIALE, K. BERMEJO-MORALES, A.S.LIMANSKY

CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION

European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Año: 2008

1198-743X

Eighty-six carbapenem non-susceptible Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates collected in the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases of Mexico City were screened for the presence of metallo-b-lactamase (MBL) activity using both E-test strips and a microbiological assay with EDTA-imipenem. Genomic comparisons and sequence analyses conducted with these isolates revealed the presence of blaVIM-2 in two clonally-related isolates, and blaIMP-15 in a clonally-unrelated isolate. Both genes were found to be carried by class 1 integrons, and blaIMP-15 was additionally present on a broad host-range plasmid. This is the first report of co-existing P. aeruginosa strains producing different MBLs in a Mexican hospital, highlighting the necessity of appropriate surveillance to prevent dissemination of carbapenem resistance.