First report of SPM metallo-β-lactamases producing Acinetobacter baumannii isolates in Morocco

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has recently been identified by the World Health Organization as a critical pathogen. We propose to characterize the molecular characteristics of clinical isolates of A. baumannii resistant to carbapenems collected in a Moroccan hospital.
 Materials and Methods: Seventy carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii isolates from various samples were received at the mi- crobiology laboratory of the Hospital Center. Antibiotic susceptibility was tested by the diffusion disc method and molecular characterization of antimicrobial resistance was performed by PCR and sequencing.
 Results: Carbapenemase genes were detected in our isolates: the OXA-51 gene and the ISbA1 sequence were detected in all isolates (100%), the OXA-23 and OXA-58 genes were detected in 82.85% and 10% of isolates respectively, MBL genes were dominated by VIM 39 isolates (55.7%), followed by GIM 26 isolates (37%), SIM 20 isolates (28.5%), IMP 8 isolates (11, 4%), NDM 3 isolates (4%) and for the first time in Morocco SPM with 4 isolates (5.7%).
 Conclusion: The emergence of resistance of A. baumannii to carbapenems is a serious problem in our hospital which re- quires the establishment of a prevention strategy and strict respect for hygiene to minimize their dissemination.

Acinetobacter baumannii Carbapenemase Producers in Morocco: Genetic Diversity

“…The SPM gene was detected in 13% of the isolates. Knowing that, the primary report of metallo-β-lactamase from São Paulo was reported in Brazil in an isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( P. aeruginosa ), then this enzyme spread throughout Brazil [ 23 ], and its first report in Morocco was made by a study already done by our team and published [ 24 ].…”

Tackling Carbapenem Resistance and the Imperative for One Health Strategies—Insights from the Portuguese Perspective

“…The most prevalent are Imipenemase (IMP), Verona integron-encoded metallo-β-lactamase (VIM,) and New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) [ 56 ]. There have been reported cases of other MBLs, such as German Imipenemase (GIM) and Sao Paulo Metallo-β-lactamase (SPM) [ 44 , 57 , 58 ]. These families of enzymes have their genes encoded in a variety of integron structures, usually located in conjugative plasmids, which facilitates their dissemination [ 59 ].…”