Outbreak of meropenem-resistant Serratia marcescens comediated by chromosomal AmpC beta-lactamase overproduction and outer membrane protein loss.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms involved in the meropenem resistance of Serratia marcescens clinical isolates. Meropenem-resistant (MIC range, 16 to 32 μg/ml) S. marcescens isolates were recovered from nine patients in a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea, from June to November 2005. All the isolates shared identical or similar (>85% similarity) SpeI macrorestriction patterns, indicating clonal spread. PCR experiments did not detect any carbapenemase in those isolates. They carried the bla(CTX-M-22) gene located on a 150-kbp plasmid of the incompatibility group L/M; however, the addition of clavulanic acid exhibited few effects on meropenem MICs. Although meropenem MICs were reduced 4- to 16-fold with the addition of boronic acid, no plasmid-borne AmpC β-lactam

SUBMITTER: Suh B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2981282 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature