Prevalence of carbapenem resistance genes in Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from clinical specimens obtained from an academic hospital in South Africa

Abstract

Acinetobacter baumannii is an important cause of hospital-acquired infections. The occurrence of carbapenem resistance that is caused by the carbapenem-hydrolysing class D β-lactamases and the metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) limits the range of therapeutic alternatives in treating A. baumannii infections. In this study, two multiplex polymerase chain reactions were performed to screen for both carbapenem-hydrolysing class D β-lactamases and MBL genes in 97 clinical isolates of A. baumannii. Oxacillinase (OXA)-51 had a prevalence of 83% (81/97), and OXA-23 had a prevalence of 59% (57/97). One isolate was positive for an MBL [Verona integron-encoded metallo β-lactamases (VIM)]. Therefore, continuous surveillance and monitoring of A. baumannii is crucial because of the high prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes.