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. 2025 Jul 1;25(1):825.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-025-11198-6.

Distribution of carbapenemase-producing and colistin resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates in Batna hospitals, Algeria

Asma Bouali  1   2   3 , Esma Bendjama  3   4 , Zineb Cherak  2 , Meriem Mennaai  5 , Ahmed Kassah-Laouar  6 , Jean-Marc Rolain  7   8 , Lotfi Loucif  9   10
Affiliations

Distribution of carbapenemase-producing and colistin resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates in Batna hospitals, Algeria

Asma Bouali et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution and genetic determinants of carbapenemase production and colistin resistance among Acinetobacter baumannii isolates recovered from three health care facilities in the city of Batna, Algeria.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted between 2021 and 2022 on 46 Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates, which were collected and identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using the disk diffusion method and colistin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by broth microdilution method. Carbapenemase and colistin resistance determinants were detected by qPCR.

Results: The 46 clinical isolates were mainly from the intensive care unit (52.17%) and the burns unit (17.39%). The strains were collected primarily from pus samples (34.78%) and blood samples (17.39%). Eleven strains were classified as colistin-resistant, with MICs ranging from 4 to 128 μg/mL. The blaOXA-24 gene was detected in 63.04% of the isolates, followed by the blaOXA-23 gene (43.47%). Nine strains were positive for both blaOXA-23-like and blaOXA-24-like genes. The blaNDM gene was detected in eight isolates (17.39%), including two which co-expressed a blaOXA-24 gene. In contrast, all strains were negative for the plasmid-mediated colistin resistance mcr-1 to mcr-5 and mcr-8.

Conclusion: Here, we report a high prevalence of carbapenemases-producing A. baumannii isolates in Batna hospitals. Notably, this study is the first to identify A. baumannii isolates co-producing OXA-24 and NDM carbapenemases and to report the first detection of colistin-resistant A. baumannii co-producing OXA-24 and OXA-23 carbapenemases from a patient in Algeria.

Keywords: Acinetobacter baumannii; bla NDM; bla OXA-23; bla OXA-24; Algeria.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study is part of Asma Bouali doctoral research titled “Acinetobacter baumannii: Etude phénotypique, génotypique et mécanismes de résistance aux antibiotiques” which has been approved by the Scientific Council of the Faculty of Science (PVN°08/2012, 18/12/2012), University of Batna, Algeria. This work was performed on bacterial isolates which were routinely collected for diagnostic purposes with anonymous patients’ data, and no additional samples were taken from patients in accordance with the institutional ethical committee requirements. To safeguard patients’ privacy and confidentiality, their medical records were anonymized and de-identified. The research team maintained no direct contact or follow-up with the patients. Consent to participate was deemed unnecessary by the Ethics Committee of Batna University Hospital Center, Algeria. The procedures used in this study are in compliance with Algerian legislation and have received approval from the ethical committee of Batna 2 University. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Sankey diagram illustrating the demographic features of the study population. ICU, intensive care unit; PDS, protected distal sampling; CSU, Catheter Specimen of Urine; CC, cancer center; PH, public hospital; HU, university hospital
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Antibiogram results, colistin MIC and resistance mechanisms of A. baumannii isolates were analyzed and clustered using the MultiExperimentViewer 4_6_2. TC, ticarcillin; TCC, ticarcillin/clavulanate; PRL, piperacillin; TPZ, piperacillin/tazobactam; CAZ, ceftazidime; TOB, tobramycin; GN, gentamicin; AK, amikacin; IPM, imipenem; CIP, ciprofloxacin; CT, colistin
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