Emergence of OXA-48-type carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in German hospitals

Abstract

Nine carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates collected from eight patients in five German hospitals were investigated. Six isolates produced the OXA-48 carbapenemase, and three isolates produced OXA-162, which is a point mutant form of OXA-48. Both carbapenemase genes were located on IncL/M-type conjugative plasmids. Insertion sequence IS1999 (truncated or not by IS1R) was located upstream of the bla(OXA-48) and bla(OXA-162) genes in all of the isolates. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis typing indicated the clonal transmission of an OXA-48-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strain in two hospitals.