Characterization of a rare blaVIM-4 metallo-β-lactamase-producing Serratia marcescens clinical isolate in Hungary

Abstract

A carbapenem-resistant S. marcescens isolate was recovered from a patient with an inflammed pacemaker inplantation pocket from a Cardiac Surgery ward in a Hungarian University Hospital. Phenotypic tests and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) confirmed a very rare gene responsible for production of a carbapenemase (blaVIM-4), which was further characterized by Sanger-sequencing. The characterization of this S. marcescens strain emphasizes the ongoing emergence of novel or rare carbapenemases. Strains expressing a weak carbapenemase like this strain might go unrecognized by routine diagnostics due to low minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for the bacterial strains producing such enzymes.

Keywords

• Microbiology
• Bacteria
• Microorganism
• Public health
• Infectious disease
• Pharmacology