CTX-M-producing Salmonella spp. in Hong Kong: an emerging problem

Two Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium isolates and one S. enterica serovar Enteritidis isolate that were resistant to 4 microg cefotaxime ml-1 and produced CTX-M-type extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) were characterized from patients in Hong Kong during 2003-2004. The S. Typhimurium strain isolated in 2003 produced a CTX-M-9 ESBL and harboured a blaCTX-M-9 gene that was associated with a class I integron-containing gene cassette and orf513 similar to those of In60. The second S. Typhimurium strain and the S. Enteritidis strain, both isolated in 2004, produced CTX-M-14; the former also produced TEM-1. The blaCTX-M-14 gene in these two isolates was associated with the insertion sequence ISEcp1. The CTX-M genes were present on a transferable plasmid of 62, 70 or 92 kb. PFGE of XbaI-restricted total DNA from the two S. Typhimurium isolates indicated that they were not clonally related. These three isolates were also resistant to one of the other non-beta-lactam antimicrobial agents tested. This is the first report of a CTX-M-9 ESBL in Salmonella in Hong Kong and the presence of blaCTX-M-9 and blaCTX-M-14 in S. Typhimurium.