Nineteen of 27 ceftazidime-resistant Enterobacter cloacae isolates from a neonatal intensive care unit in Thessaloniki, Greece, had genes coding for the novel extended-spectrum ␤-lactamase IBC-1; 18 of those 19 harbored similar conjugative plasmids and belonged to two distinct genetic lineages. A synergy test with ceftazidime and imipenem enabled us to identify five unrelated bla IBC-1 -carrying E. cloacae isolates from other wards of the hospital. It seems that this integron-associated gene is capable of dispersing both by clonal spread and by gene dissemination.

In Greece, the rate of mupirocin-resistant S. aureus has remained low and steady since 1999. The high rate of mupirocin-resistant CoNS (33%) in 2002 was due mainly to clonal dissemination of epidemic hospital clones.

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Seventy-six nontuberculous mycobacterial isolates obtained from patients living in Greece were analyzed with the GenoType Mycobacterium CM (for common mycobacteria) and AS (for additional species) assays. GenoType correctly identified all but one of the mycobacterial species. For this species, additional probes should be designed and added to the strip.

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Mycobacterium arupense is a novel mycobacterium species. It was first identified from clinical specimens in 2006 and since then there have been only two reports of its recovery from clinical samples. In the present case M. arupense was isolated from the sputum of a 62-year-old man with a malignant mass in his left kidney, who presented with a one-month history of recurrent fever, dyspnea and haemoptysis. M. arupense was identified with sequencing of hsp65 and 16S rRNA genes. In the present study, its biochemical profile along with its resistance status and hsp65 RFLP analysis is presented.

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