First Case of NDM-1-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in Annaba University Hospital, Algeria.

AIM: The aim of this study was to characterize two carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates recovered from urine samples in a patient hospitalized at Annaba University hospital (Algeria) in 2014. RESULTS: Two K. pneumoniae isolates were studied because they proved resistant to almost all antibiotics tested with a high level resistance to ertapenem (minimum inhibitory concentration = 32 mg/L). The results of modified Hodge test and combined disk test (ROSCO Diagnostica, Taastrup, Denmark) were positive. The two isolates harbored the blaNDM-1 gene and one was also positive for blaCTX-M-15. Screening of aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance contents detected aac(6')-Ib-cr, aac(3')-II, qnrB2, and oqxAB in both isolates. Multilocus sequence typing demonstrated that the two isolates belonged to sequence type 147. However, repetitive sequence-based PCR and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that they were not clonally related. The blaNDM-1 gene and all other resistant genes were contained on an IncR plasmid of c.a. 85 kb. CONCLUSIONS: This study comprises the first identification of NDM-1-producing K. pneumoniae in Algeria. We thus confirm the concerning worldwide dissemination of this carbapenemase that involves the emergence of the IncR plasmid and the success of the ST147 clonal complex harboring it.

First Detection of VIM-4-Producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa and OXA-48-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in Northeastern (Annaba, Skikda) Algeria.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence and molecular support of carbapenem resistance in gram-negative bacilli clinical isolates collected between March 2013 and March 2015 in three cities (Annaba, Skikda, and Guelma) in northeastern Algeria. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-six isolates were identified as Enterobacteriaceae (161), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (18), and Acinetobacter baumannii (7). Thirty-six of 186 (19.3%) were resistant to carbapenems. Among them, 11 harbored carbapenemase genes, including blaOXA-48 (2 Klebsiella pneumoniae), blaVIM-4 (2 P. aeruginosa), blaNDM-1 (2 A. baumannii), and blaOXA-23 (5 A. baumannii). In addition, other ß-lactamases were detected: blaCTX-M-(15/66/139), blaSHV-(28/85/1/133), and blaTEM-1. All imipenem-resistant P. aeruginosa displayed OprD mutations. Multilocus sequence typing demonstrated the presence of ST 404 and ST 219 in K. pneumoniae, ST 2 and ST 85 in A. baumannii, and ST (244, 1076, 241, 227, and 233) in P. aeruginosa. CONCLUSION: In this study, we report the first detection of P. aeruginosa ST 1076 harboring the blaVIM-4 gene in African countries in two cities (Annaba and Skikda) in northeastern Algeria. Additionally, we report the first detection of blaOXA-48 in K. pneumoniae ST 404 and ST 219 in Algerian cities (Annaba and Skikda).

Epidemiology and virulence of VIM-4 metallo-beta-lactamase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from burn patients in eastern Algeria.

In this study, we investigated the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) in burn patients from eastern Algeria, CRPA virulence factors and the molecular epidemiology of CRPA. The overall prevalence of CRPA was 48.38%. Seven (46.66%) isolates were metallo-ß-lactamases (MBL) producers and contained the MBL genes blaVIM-4 (n=6) and blaVIM-2 (n=1). Risk factors for CRPA infection were urinary catheter use and intubation (p=0.008). A high percentage of virulence factors (86.6% of these isolates were able to produce protease; 73.3% of isolates has DNase; and 66.6% were haemolysin positive) was observed in CRPA isolates. Among the seven MBL-producing isolates, four had the same clonal profile. The class 1 integrons, which contained the aadA7 gene cassette, were detected in six isolates. The 16SrRNA methylase gene, rmtB, was detected in one strain. All CRPA isolates were biofilm formers. A study on the kinetics of biofilm production revealed that biofilm production increased when the concentration of imipenem or ciprofloxacin and the incubation time increased. This is the first study to report the presence of VIM-4-producing P. aeruginosa from North Africa and also of the high prevalence of CRPA isolates. Based on our study of burn unit patients, the high percentage of P. aeruginosa with virulence factors and multi-drug resistance is alarming.