Dissemination of VIM-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa associated with high-risk clone ST654 in a tertiary and quaternary hospital in Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

To the best of our knowledge, no molecular surveillance that has been conducted to identify the most common clones of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) in western Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study aimed to identify genetic diversity and the most common CRPA clones in this region. Thirty-five CRPA isolates were collected from a tertiary and quaternary hospital in Makkah. bla_VIM was the most common carbapenemase-encoding gene (11 CRPA isolates), while bla_GES was reported in only three isolates. CRPA isolates were subjected to multi- locus sequence typing and showed relatively high genetic diversity with 20 sequence types. Approximately one-third (31.4%) of the CRPA isolates belonged to two high-risk clones (ST235 and ST654). This troublesome finding raises serious concerns about the emergence and further dissemination of CRPA high-risk clones in local hospitals and suggest that surveillance programs should be established in this region to monitor and control clonal dissemination of all multidrug resistant bacteria, including CRPA.

Keywords:

• Carbapenem-resistance;
• VIM;
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa;
• ST235 & ST654
• Saudi Arabia

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) for technical and financial support. Many thanks to the staff at the Special Infectious Agents Unit (SIAU) at the King Fahad Medical Research Center (KFMRC) and King Abdulaziz University for their support during the practical work.

Disclosure statement

This project was funded by the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Saudi Arabia, under post-graduate student program, grant No. (AT-36-297). This manuscript has not been previously published and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. The authors have no conflict of interests.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ibrahim A. Al-Zahrani

Dr Ibrahim A. Al-Zahrani, assistant professor at faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Medical Laboratory Technology Department, he is working as a researcher in Special infectious Agents Unit-Biosafety Level-3, King Fahad Medical Research Centre, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. His main research filed is molecular epidemiology of hospital infections.

Bashaer M. Al-Ahmadi

Bashaer M. Al-Ahmadi, postgraduate student at faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Medical Laboratory Technology Department, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.