Research Journal of Microbiology1816-4935xxxx-xxxxScience International10.3923/jm.2011.750.760Acinetobacter baumannii Isolated from a Tertiary Hospital in Alexandria, Egypt]]>MohamedNelly M. RaafatDina 102011610The wide use of carbapenems for empirical therapy of nosocomial infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii has resulted in emergence of an additional type of resistance; the Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs). This study analyzed the prevalence of MBL production in imipenem-resistant A. baumannii isolated from the Main University Hospital based in Alexandria, Egypt. The Main University Hospital is a 1500-bed tertiary teaching hospital with a heavy patient turnover and extensive antibiotic use. The majority of isolates (95.7%) were Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR), showing complete resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins, ureidopenicillin, β-lactam combinations and amikacin. All the isolates displayed elevated values for Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of imipenem (MIC50 and MIC90 were 64 and 512 μg mL-1, respectively). Phenotypic detection of MBLs by Combined Disc Test (CDT) and Modified Three-Dimensional Test (MTDT) identified a proportion of 70% as MBL producers. The presence of MBL-encoding genes (blaIMP, blaVIM, blaSPM-1, blaSIM-1 and blaGIM-1) was checked by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and was confirmed in 52% of isolates where amplification of blaVIM and blaSPM-1 genes was observed in 27 and 30%, respectively. A single isolate harbored a blaGIM-1 gene while none of the isolates showed amplification of either blaSIM-1 or blaIPM genes. Further investigation on phenotypically-positive/PCR-negative isolates by spectrophotometric assay revealed MBL activity in all isolates, suggesting the involvement of other genes. These results point out that MBL-producing A. baumannii isolates are now being detected in Egypt. This underlies the importance of their accurate identification and reporting to prevent the emergence of complete resistance to the useful drugs against Acinetobacter spp. in this country.]]>Adeniyi, B.A., C.C. Amajoyi and S.I. Smith,2006Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., Proteus sp. and Pseudomonas sp. Isolates.]]>6527531Ahmed, S.H., S.F. Abdelwahab, A.M. Hasanen, and D.S. Mohammed,2011Acinetobacter baumannii.]]>710131019Al-Johani, S.M., J. Akhter, H. Balkhy, A. El-Saed, M. Younan and Z. Memish,201030364369Bauer, A.W., W.M.M. Kirby, J.C. Sherris and M. Turck,196645493496Bratu, S. and J. Quale,20066434445CLSI.,20102010Ellington, M.J., J. Kistler, D.M. Livermore and N. Woodford,200759321322El-Shafie, S.S., M. Alishaq and M.L. Garcia,2004Acinetobacter baumannii in trauma intensive care unit.]]>56101105Gupta, V.,2008Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter species.]]>17131143Jazani, N.H., S. Shahabi, A. Abdi Ali and M. Zartoshti,2007Acinetobacter sp.]]>1014771480Jazani, N.H., M. Zartoshti, H. Babazadeh and N. Ali-daiee,201113136Kaase, M., P. Nordmann, T.A. Wichelhaus, S.G. Gatermann, R.A. Bonnin and L. Poirel, 2011Acinetobacter baumannii from Egypt.]]>6612601262Lee, J.H. and S.H. Lee,20061122Livermore, D. and J.D. Williams,19961996pp: 517pp: 517Manikal, V.M., D. Landman, G. Saurina, E. Oydna, H. Lal and J. Quale,2000Acinetobacter species in Brooklyn, New Yark: Citywide prevalence, interinstitutional spread and relation to antibiotic usage.]]>31101106Merz, L.R., D.K. Warren, M.H. Kollef and V.J. Fraser, 20044828612865Mugnier, P., L. Poirel, M. Pitout and P. Nordmann,2008Acinetobacter baumannii isolates in the United Arab Emirates.]]>14879882Mugnier, P.D., K.M. Bindayna, L. Poirel and P. Nordmann,2009Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from Kingdom of Bahrain.]]>6310711073Peleg, A.Y., H. Seifert and D.L. Paterson,2008Acinetobacter baumannii: Emergence of a successful pathogen.]]>21538582Perez, F., A.M. Hujer, K.M. Hujer, B.K. Decker, P.N. Rather and R.A. Bonomo,2007Acinetobacter baumannii.]]>5134713484Qu, T.T., J.l. Zhang, J. Wang, J. Tao and Y.S. Yu et al.,2009Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains in China.]]>4711361142Rossolini, G.M., F. Luzzaro, R. Migliavacca, C. Mugnaioli and B. Pini et al.,20085210231029Shahid, M., A. Malik, M. Agrawal and S. Singhal, 200454684687Toleman, M.A., D. Biedenbach, D. Bennett, R.N. Jones and T.R. Walsh,200352583590Uma Karthika, R., R. Srinivasa Rao, S. Sahoo, P. Shashikala, R. Kanungo, S. Jayachandran and K. Prashanth,2009β-lactamases in clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii from a South Indian tertiary care hospital.]]>58430435Valenza, G., B. Joseph, J. Elias, H. Claus and A. Oesterlein et al.,2010Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a German University Hospital.]]>5434933497Walsh, T.R., M.A. Toleman, L. Poirel and P. Nordmann,200518306325Lee, K., J.H. Yum, D. Yong, H.M. Lee and H.D. Kim et al.,2005blaSIM-1, in a class 1 integron from Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates from Korea.]]>4944854491Yong, D., K. Lee, J.H. Yum, H.B. Shin, G.M. Rossolini and Y. Chong,2002Pseudomonas spp. and Acinetobacter spp.]]>4037983801