Molecular screening of carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative strains in Romanian intensive care units during a one year survey

This is the first study, to our knowledge, performed on a significant number of strains (79 carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and 84 carbapenem-resistant non-fermenting Gram-negative rods, GNRs) isolated from tissue samples taken from patients in the intensive care units of two large hospitals in Bucharest, Romania, between 2011 and 2012. The results revealed a high prevalence and great diversity of carbapenemase genes (CRG), in both fermenting and non-fermenting Gram-negative carbapenem-resistant strains. The molecular screening of carbapenem-resistant GNRs revealed the presence of worldwide-distributed CRGs (i.e. blaOXA-48 and blaNDM-1 in Enterobacteriaceae and blaOXA-23, blaVIM-4, blaOXA-10-like, blaOXA-60-like, blaSPM-like and blaGES-like in non-fermenting GNRs), reflecting the rapid evolution and spread of carbapenemase producers, particularly in hospitals. Rapid identification of the colonized or infected patients is required, as are epidemiological investigations to establish the local or imported origin of the respective strains.