Spectrum and transferability of β-lactam resistance in hospital strains of Enterobacter isolated in Bratislava and Innsbruck

• Published in: International journal of antimicrobial agents Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 31 - 36
• Main Authors: Bujdáková, H., Klimáčková, J., Allerberger, F., Moravčı́ková, M., Bagová, M., Hanzen, J., Michálková-Papajová, D., Dierich, M.P., Kettner, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier B.V 01.09.2000; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Austria; Bacteriology; beta-Lactam Resistance - genetics; beta-Lactamases - metabolism; beta-Lactams; Biological and medical sciences; Conjugation, Genetic; Enterobacter; Enterobacter - drug effects; Enterobacter - genetics; Enterobacter - isolation & purification; Enterobacteriaceae Infections - microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics; Humans; Medical sciences; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Microbiology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plasmids - genetics; Slovakia; transferable resistance; β-Lactam antibiotics; Austria; Europe; Slovakia; β-Lactam antibiotics; transferable resistance; Enterobacter; Enzyme; β-Lactams; β-Lactamase; Gene expression; Genetic transfer; Plasmid; Resistance; Bacteria; Hydrolases; Genetics; Hospital; Enterobacteriaceae
• ISSN: 0924-8579; 1872-7913
• DOI: 10.1016/S0924-8579(00)00195-3

The transferability and expression of β-lactam resistance were compared in multiresistant clinical isolates of Enterobacter spp. collected from different hospitals in Bratislava, Slovakia ( n=15) and Innsbruck, Austria ( n=19) during 1996–1997. The strains from Bratislava were resistant to ampicillin, cefoxitin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime and ceftriaxone. All strains from Innsbruck were resistant to ampicillin and cefoxitin; 17 were also resistant to ceftazidime and aztreonam but the majority remained susceptible to cefotaxime and ceftriaxone. All strains were susceptible to cefepime and imipenem. The majority of the tested strains transferred resistance determinants to E. coli recipient by conjugation. Production of β-lactamase including ESBL was the major mechanism of β-lactam resistance. Large plasmids of 77–88 and 91 kb were confirmed in clinical isolates from Bratislava and Innsbruck.