Pakistan hospitals: 59 of 90 A. baumannii isolates resistant to carbapenems

[Gert van der Hoek]

J Med Microbiol January 2014 vol. 63 no. Pt 1 50-55

Emergence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in hospitals in Pakistan

Abstract

The emergence of pan-resistance in bacterial pathogens poses a threat to human health. Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as a serious challenge, causing nosocomial infection and community-acquired outbreaks in hospitals globally, including in Pakistan. We collected 90 Acinetobacter isolates from patients with secondary or nosocomial infections from different hospitals in Pakistan and screened for carbapenem-resistant strains. Of the 90 isolates, 59 were resistant to carbapenems.

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The results show a prominent level of antibiotic-resistance phenotypes in A. baumannii and strongly suggest the need for full-scale national surveillance of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii with particular emphasis on the newly identified NDM-1 (New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1).

JMM