Outbreaks in Distinct Regions Due to a Single Klebsiella pneumoniae Clone Carrying a bla VIM-1 Metallo-β-Lactamase Gene

Abstract

ABSTRACT From December 2004 to March 2005, 27 Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates that were positive by the imipenem-EDTA double-disk synergy test and that exhibited a single macrorestriction pattern were recovered in two distinct Greek hospitals. The isolates carried a transferable bla VIM-1 metallo-β-lactamase gene in a class 1 integron. Reverse transcriptase PCR showed that the gene was similarly expressed in low- and high-level carbapenem-resistant isolates, indicating the existence of additional resistance mechanisms. The clonal spread of VIM-1-producing K. pneumoniae strains in distinct regions where up to now bla VIM-2 and bla VIM-4 alleles were common is worrisome.