Emergence of New Sequence Type OXA-48 Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae in Kuwait

The aim of this study was to investigate the infections due to OXA-48 carbapenemase-producing bacteria in tertiary hospitals in Kuwait (September 2011 to April 2013) and to determine the sequence types (STs) of the corresponding isolates. Eleven OXA-48 carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates were recovered from patients treated in nine different hospitals in Kuwait. Susceptibility testing to eighteen antibiotics was done using the E-test. PCR assays were performed for the detection of genes encoding extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) (blaCTX-M, blaSHV, and blaTEM) and carbapenemases (blaOXA-48, blaVIM, blaNDM, blaIMP, blaGIM, and blaKPC). STs were determined by Multilocus Sequence Typing. Seven Klebsiella pneumoniae, two Escherichia coli, one Enterobacter cloacae, and one Morganella morganii harbored the blaOXA-48 gene. The K. pneumoniae and E. coli belonged to seven and two different STs, respectively, which were not related to those reported from this region. The majority of the isolates carried either blaCTX-M or blaSHV genes and showed a multidrug-resistant phenotype, including resistance to tigecycline. Multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae harboring the blaOXA-48 gene are emerging in Kuwait with different STs compared to those identified in other countries of the region. Detection of OXA-48-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Kuwait is important to prevent its rapid spread.