Emergence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with KPC-type carbapenemase in a teaching hospital: an 8-year study

Abstract

An outbreak of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenamase (KPC)-producing K. pneumoniae occurred at our institution. Multiresistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa could have acquired this transmissible resistance mechanism, going unnoticed because its phenotypic detection in this species is difficult. We compared P. aeruginosa isolates obtained before and after the KPC-producing K. pneumoniae outbreak. No bla KPC genes were detected in the isolates obtained before the outbreak, whereas 33/76 (43 %) of the isolates obtained after the outbreak harboured the bla KPC gene. P. aeruginosa may thus become a reservoir of this transmissible resistance mechanism. It is very important to understand the epidemiology of these multiresistant isolates, in order to achieve early implementation of adequate control measures to contain and reduce their dissemination in the hospital environment.