Pseudomonas aeruginosa Epidemic Strain Carrying bla_SPM Metallo-Beta-Lactamase Detected in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract

The present study was designed to characterize β-lactamase genes and evaluate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) typing for multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) genotype A isolates from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, collected between April 1999 and March 2000 and one additional isolate collected in June 2002. As reported previously, all of the genotype A isolates produced non-characterized metallo-β-lactamase. These isolates (22) were screened for the bla _SPM gene by PCR and dot-blotting. Isolates were typed by PCR fingerprinting with primers RAPD-1, 272, 208, 1290, ERIC-1 and ERIC-2. The bla _SPM gene was detected in 18 (82%) of the 22 isolates. PCR fingerprinting gave results that correlated with PFGE, except with primer 1290. In Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian states, nearly all SPM -producing P. aeruginosa isolates belong to a single PFGE type accounting for a large proportion of drug-resistant P. aeruginosa hospital infections. RAPD PCR fingerprinting may be a useful technique to screen for an epidemic multidrug-resistant strain in Brazil.

Keywords:

• β-lactamase
• molecular typing
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa