Dissemination of an NDM-2-producing Acinetobacter baumannii clone in an Israeli rehabilitation center

Abstract

New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM-1) was initially identified in various Enterobacteriaceae and recently in Acinetobacter baumannii. This study described the clonal dissemination of an NDM-2-producing A. baumannii isolate in an Israeli rehabilitation ward and the genetic surroundings of the gene. The bla(NDM-2) gene was surrounded by the ble and trpF genes downstream and two copies of the ISAba125 on both sides. These are the first NDM-producing A. baumannii strains in Israel from patients with no previous travel or hospitalization on the Indian subcontinent.

Fig. 1.

(a) PFGE analysis of Acinetobacter baumannii strains. (b) Plasmid identification by digestion with S1 nuclease. (c) Hybridization with bla_NDM-1 probe. Lanes: 1, A. baumannii AB-I1; 2, AB-I2; 3, AB-I3; 4, AB-I4; 5, AB-I5. Lanes 6 to 8, A. baumannii European clones EC-I (strain RUH-875), EC-II (strain RUH-134), and EC-III (strain RUH-5875), respectively. Bands with white arrows indicate the presence of plasmids without signal hybridization with the bla_NDM-1 probe; black arrow indicates the chromosomal position with positive hybridization with the bla_NDM-1 probe.

Fig. 2.

Genetic surroundings of the bla_NDM-2 in A. baumannii strain AB-I1. IRL, left inverted repeat; IRR, right inverted repeat. P, promoter; ble, bleomycin resistance gene; trpF, N-(5′-phosphoribosyl) anthranilate isomerase.