Surveillance of carbapenem-resistant pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from Puerto Rican Medical Center Hospitals: Dissemination of KPC and IMP-18 β-lactamases

During a 6-month period, 37/513 (7.2%) Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates belonging to 13 pulsed-fleld gel electrophoresis (PFGE) groups from Puerto Rican hospitals were carbapenem nonsusceptible. Seven of 37 isolates from four PFGE groups carried blaIMP.1B, and 25/37 isolates from seven PFGE groups carried blaKPC. The results indicated the clonal spread of WaKPC-positive P. aeruginosa isolates into several Puerto Rican hospitals and the dissemination of blaIMPmls and blaKPC into genetically unrelated isolates. Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.