Cross-transmission of Acinetobacter junii carrying blaOXA-58 in a neonatal ICU

Abstract

Abstract Background Nasal colonization of two preterm infants in our neonatal ICU by Acinetobacter junii carrying the blaOXA-58 carbapenem resistance gene was demonstrated. Objectives To study whether the two isolates were identical and to investigate the hypotheses of cross-transmission. Methods Antibiotic susceptibility tests of the two isolates were performed by standard diffusion and the MICs of carbapenems determined by the MIC-gradient strip method. The blaOXA-58 gene was detected by PCR. Isolates were compared using SNP analysis performed after WGS. The timelines of the two cases were determined based on the investigations and the study of the patients’ records. Results The two isolates corresponded to the same strain, with case 1 being the index case, demonstrating cross-transmission to case 2. Conclusions Acquisition of the strain was likely due to the recent carbapenem treatment of case 1 and cross-transmission due to the high amount of care administered to the two preterm infants. This is the first description of cross-transmission of A. junii carrying the blaOXA-58 gene.