Molecular epidemiology of quinolon resistant strains of extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing Escherichia coli

Objective: To determine the clonal relationship of ESBL-producing and quinolone resistant E. coil strains and to investigate the risk factors for infections with these microorganisms

Is rapid antibacterial susceptibility testing medium reliable for routine laboratory practices?

Objective: Early detection of antibiotic susceptibility profile of the isolates has critical importance in terms of immediate beginning of the appropriate treatment and increasing of treatment success, such as meningitis, bacteriemia and sepsis. In the present study, it was aimed to compare the antibiotic susceptibility results of Quicolor (Salubris Inc., Massachusetts, USA) and standard disk diffusion method

Genotyping of Nosocomial Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains Isolated from Clinical Specimens by rep-PCR

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are associated with increased cost, mortality and length of hospital stay compared with the other infections. Therefore, controlling the spread of this pathogen by screening patients, personnel and the environment remains as a high priority in infection control programs. The aim of this study was to detect the clonal relationship between nosocomial MRSA strains by using repetitive-sequence-based polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) method which has several advantages owing to its speed and ease of use. A total of 100 MRSA stock strains that had been isolated from various clinical samples of hospitalized patients in Erciyes University Medical Faculty Hospitals between September 2008-October 2009, were included in the study. Methicillin resistance of the strains were determined by cefoxitin disc diffusion test according to CLSI guidelines. Rep-PCR (Diversilab, bioMerieux, France) method was performed in the following four steps in order to determine genetic proximity of MRSA strains: (1) Manual DNA extraction (UltraClean Microbial DNA Isolation Kit; MoBio Laboratories, USA), (2) Rep-PCR by using fingerprinting kits in the thermocycler (Diversilab DNA Fingerprinting Kit), (3) Automated microfluidic electrophoresis by bioanalyzer (Diversilab DNA LabChip kit), (4) Analysis and rapid evaluation with the use of web-based DiversiLab software (version 2.1.66). Rep-PCR analysis have shown the presence of a total 11 clones, including 3 major clones [A (4 subtypes), B (2 subtypes) and C (2 subtypes)] and 8 unique clones (D-K). Clone A was found to be the dominant type. Seventy-eight percent of the 100 MRSA isolates belonged to clone A (63 were A1; 9 were A2; 4 were A3, 2 were A4), 11% belonged to clone B (10 were B1, 1 was B2), 3% belonged to clone C (2 were C1, 1 was C2), and one of each belonged to the other clones (D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K). Clone A was isolated from 93.3% (14/15) of the samples sent from internal diseases intensive care unit (ICU), from 66.6% (10/15) of the samples sent from infectious diseases ward and 91% (10/11) of hematology-oncology ward samples. All MRSA strains isolated from anesthesiology and newborn ICU were of clone A. The isolation dates of these strains were in proximity. In conclusion, MRSA strains showed clonal dissemination in our hospital, clone A being the predominant one during the study period. Rep-PCR which is a rapid and reliable method, can easily be applied for molecular epidemiological purposes and aid to infection control measures

Investigation of Carbapenemases in Carbapenem-Resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae Strains Isolated in 2014 in Turkey

Carbapenems are the choice of treatment in infections caused by multidrug resistant Enterobacteriaceae. In recent years carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates due to carbapenemases have been increasingly reported worldwide. Multicenter studies on carbapenemases are scarce in Turkey. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of carbapenemases from different parts of Turkey as a part of the European Survey of Carbapenemase Producing Enterobacteriaceae (EuSCAPE) project. Beginning in November 2013, carbapenem-resistant isolates resistant to at least one of the agents, namely imipenem, meropenem, and ertapenem were sent to the coordinating center. Minimum inhibitory concentrations for these carbapenems were determined by microdilution tests following EUCAST guidelines. Production of carbapenemase was confirmed by combination disk synergy tests. Types of carbapenemases were investigated using specific primers for VIM, IMP; NDM, KPC and OXA-48 genes by multiplex polymerase chain reaction. In a six month period, 155 suspected carbapenemase-positive isolates were sent to the coordinating center of which 21 (13.5%) were E.coli and 134 (86.5%) were K.pneumoniae. Nineteen (90.5%) strains among E.coli and 124 (92.5%) strains among K.pneumoniae were shown to harbour at least one carbapenemase gene by molecular tests, with a total of 92.3% (143/155). Carbapenemases were determined as a single enzyme in 136 strains (OXA-48: 84.6%; NDM: 6.3%; VIM: 2.8%; IMP: 1.4%) and as a combination in seven isolates (OXA-48 + NDM: 2.1%; OXA-48 + VIM: 2.1%; VIM + NDM: 0.7%). KPC was not detected in any of the isolates. According to the microdilution test results, resistance to imipenem, meropenem and ertapenem in OXA-48 isolates were 59.5%, 52.9% and 100%, respectively. The combination disk synergy test was 100% compatible with the molecular test results. As most of the OXA-48 producing isolates were susceptible to meropenem but all were resistant to ertapenem, ertapenem seems to be the most sensitive agent in screening carbapenemases in areas where OXA-48 is prevalent and phenotypic combination tests can be useful in centers where molecular tests are not available.Wo