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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, April 2009, p. 1325-1330, Vol. 53, No. 4
0066-4804/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.01230-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Molecular Epidemiology of Outbreak-Related Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains Carrying the Novel Variant blaVIM-17 Metallo-β-Lactamase Gene{triangledown}

Victoria I. Siarkou,1* Danai Vitti,2 Efthimia Protonotariou,2 Alexandros Ikonomidis,3 and Danai Sofianou2

Laboratory of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki GR-54124, Greece,1 Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hippokration General University Hospital, Thessaloniki GR-54642, Greece,2 Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital of Larissa, Larissa GR-41110, Greece3

Received 16 September 2008/ Returned for modification 6 November 2008/ Accepted 11 January 2009

A study was designed to investigate the molecular epidemiological characteristics of multidrug-resistant outbreak-related Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates collected in a university hospital in northern Greece. Of 29 nonreplicate P. aeruginosa isolates resistant to carbapenems and ceftazidime, 14 were positive for metallo-β-lactamase production. PCR analyses with primers specific for blaVIM and blaIMP revealed that 13 isolates carried a novel blaVIM-2 gene variant, designated blaVIM-17, and only 1 isolate carried blaVIM-2, a gene predominant among P. aeruginosa strains in Greek hospitals. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of XbaI-digested genomic DNAs showed a close genetic relationship for 12 of 13 blaVIM-17-carrying outbreak-related isolates, which were of the O11 serotype; the clonally unrelated isolate carrying blaVIM-17 was of the O12 serotype. PCR mapping strategies for the detection of class 1 integrons and sequencing approaches revealed the presence of integrons containing one blaVIM cassette flanked by two aacA29 cassettes. These integrons were similar but not identical to In59 (GenBank accession number AF263519) initially described in France. All isolates carrying blaVIM-17, regardless of their genetic profile, had an identical integron, named In59.3, indicating that although the hospital outbreak was mainly due to clonal dissemination, the horizontal transmission of the blaVIM-17-containing integron among P. aeruginosa isolates should also have occurred. An outbreak-related isolate and a control strain, both of which carried the blaVIM-2 gene but which were clonally distinct, had an identical integron, named In59.2, which differed only at the level of the blaVIM gene from In59.3 integrons, suggesting a common ancestry. The spread of the blaVIM-17-containing integron in clonally unrelated P. aeruginosa isolates without any evidence of plasmid carriage is probably associated with a transposon.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Laboratory of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, Thessaloniki GR-54124, Greece. Phone: 30 2310 999914. Fax: 30 2310 999959. E-mail: vickysi{at}vet.auth.gr

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 21 January 2009.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, April 2009, p. 1325-1330, Vol. 53, No. 4
0066-4804/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.01230-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Tsakris, A., Poulou, A., Kristo, I., Pittaras, T., Spanakis, N., Pournaras, S., Markou, F. (2009). Large Dissemination of VIM-2-Metallo-{beta}-Lactamase-Producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains Causing Health Care-Associated Community-Onset Infections. J. Clin. Microbiol. 47: 3524-3529 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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