Pseudomonas putida group species as reservoirs of mobilizable Tn402-like class 1 integrons carrying bla metallo-β-lactamase genes.

The Pseudomonas putida group (P. putida G) is composed of at least 21 species associated with a wide range of environments, including the clinical setting. Here, we characterized 13 carbapenem-resistant P.

What do we know about plasmids carried by members of the Acinetobacter genus?

Several Acinetobacter spp. act as opportunistic pathogens causing healthcare-associated infections worldwide, and in this respect their ability to resist antimicrobial compounds has certainly boosted up their global propagation. Acinetobacter clinical strains have demonstrated a remarkable ability to evolve and become resistant to almost all available drugs in the antimicrobial arsenal, including the last-resort carbapenem β-lactams.

Characterization of the diverse plasmid pool harbored by the blaNDM-1-containing Acinetobacter bereziniae HPC229 clinical strain.

Acinetobacter bereziniae is an environmental microorganism with increasing clinical incidence, and may thus provide a model for a bacterial species bridging the gap between the environment and the clinical setting. A. bereziniae plasmids have been poorly studied, and their characterization could offer clues on the causes underlying the leap between these two different habitats.

Draft Genome Sequence of Acinetobacter bereziniae HPC229, a Carbapenem-Resistant Clinical Strain from Argentina Harboring blaNDM-1.

We report here the draft genome sequence of an NDM-1-producing Acinetobacter bereziniae clinical strain, HPC229. This strain harbors both plasmid and chromosomal resistance determinants toward different β-lactams and aminoglycosides as well as several types of multidrug efflux pumps, most likely representing an adaptation strategy for survival under different environments.

Polyclonal outbreak of bacteremia caused by Burkholderia cepacia complex and the presumptive role of ultrasound gel.

A nosocomial polyclonal outbreak associated to bacteremia caused by different Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC) species and clones is reported. Molecular characterization identified Burkholderia stabilis, Burkholderia contaminans, and Burkholderia ambifaria among BCC isolates obtained from patients in neonatal and adult intensive care units. BCC was also isolated from an intrinsically contaminated ultrasound gel, which constituted the presumptive BCC source.

The complete nucleotide sequence of the carbapenem resistance-conferring conjugative plasmid pLD209 from a Pseudomonas putida clinical strain reveals a chimeric design formed by modules derived from both environmental and clinical bacteria.

The complete sequence of the carbapenem-resistance-conferring conjugative plasmid pLD209 from a Pseudomonas putida clinical strain is presented. pLD209 is formed by 3 well-defined regions: an adaptability module encompassing a Tn402-like class 1 integron of clinical origin containing blaVIM-2 and aacA4 gene cassettes, partitioning and transfer modules, and a replication module derived from plasmids of environmental bacteria. pLD209 is thus a mosaic of modules originating in both the clinical and environmental (nonclinical) microbiota.

A convenient microbiological assay employing cell-free extracts for the rapid characterization of Gram-negative carbapenemase producers.

Objectives: The dissemination of metallo and serine carbapenem-hydrolysing beta-lactamases among Gram-negative nosocomial bacteria represents an acute problem worldwide. Here, we present a rapid and sensitive assay for the characterization of carbapenemase producers to aid in infection control and prevention.

Methods: The assay involves a rapid disruption of bacterial isolates with silicon dioxide microbeads, followed by the testing in cell-free extracts of hydrolytic activity towards various beta-lactams including two carbapenems (imipenem and meropenem) and a cephalosporin (ceftazidime).

Biochemical characterization of metallo-beta-lactamase VIM-11 from a Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical strain.

A detailed biochemical characterization of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa VIM-11 metallo-beta-lactamase (MbetaL) is reported. The only substitution differentiating VIM-11 from VIM-2 (N165S) promoted a slightly improved catalytic efficiency of the former on 3 out of 12 substrates, notably the bulky cephalosporins. Thus, MbetaL-mediated resistance also may be modulated by remote mutations.

Sensitive EDTA-based microbiological assays for detection of metallo-{beta}-lactamases in nonfermentative gram-negative bacteria.

The worldwide spread of metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL)-producing gram-negative bacilli represents a great concern nowadays. Sensitive assays for their specific detection are increasingly demanded to aid infection control and to prevent their dissemination. We have developed a novel microbiological assay employing crude bacterial extracts, designated EDTA-imipenem microbiological assay (EIM), to identify MBLs in nonfermentative gram-negative clinical strains.

Molecular characterization of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci from a neonatal intensive care unit.

Objective: To evaluate clonal dissemination of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS).

Setting: Neonatal intensive care unit of a 180-bed, university-affiliated general hospital.

Patients: Neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit between March 1999 and October 2000, from whom CNS were isolated as a unique pathogen.