Characterization of a rare blaVIM-4 metallo-β-lactamase-producing Serratia marcescens clinical isolate in Hungary
Ákos Tóth,
Attila Makai,
Laura Jánvári,
Ivelina Damjanova,
Márió Gajdács,
Edit Urbán
Affiliations
Ákos Tóth
Department of Bacteriology, Mycology and Parasitology, National Institute of Public Health, 1097, Albert Flórián út 2-6, Budapest, Hungary
Attila Makai
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, 6720 Korányi fasor 8-10, Szeged, Hungary
Laura Jánvári
Department of Bacteriology, Mycology and Parasitology, National Institute of Public Health, 1097, Albert Flórián út 2-6, Budapest, Hungary
Ivelina Damjanova
Department of Bacteriology, Mycology and Parasitology, National Institute of Public Health, 1097, Albert Flórián út 2-6, Budapest, Hungary
Márió Gajdács
Department of Pharmacodynamics and Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged; 6720 Eötvös utca 6, Szeged, Hungary; Corresponding author.
Edit Urbán
Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged; 6720 Dóm tér 10, Szeged, Hungary; Institute for Translational Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624 Szigeti út 12, Pécs, Hungary
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.
