Emergence of VIM-2 metallo-beta-lactamase producing Ralstonia pickettii clinical isolate in India

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Molecular Biology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Ralstonia pickettii is an emerging opportunistic pathogen.
• Multidrug resistance (MDR) in Gram-negative bacteria is a growing global health concern.
• Carbapenemase production confers resistance to a broad spectrum of beta-lactam antibiotics.

Observation:

• A clinical isolate of Ralstonia pickettii exhibiting multidrug resistance was analyzed.
• The isolate tested positive for carbapenemase production using the Modified Hodge test.
• A conjugative plasmid, greater than 140 Kb and typed as IncN, was identified.

Findings:

• The presence of the blaVIM-2 gene, encoding a metallo-beta-lactamase, was confirmed.
• This represents the first documented instance of blaVIM-2 emergence in Ralstonia pickettii within India.
• The blaVIM-2 gene was successfully transferred via conjugation, indicating its mobility on a plasmid.

Implications:

• This finding highlights the potential for carbapenemase-producing R. pickettii to emerge as a significant clinical threat.
• The IncN plasmid facilitates the spread of carbapenem resistance genes to other bacterial species.
• Enhanced surveillance and infection control measures are crucial to mitigate the dissemination of MDR R. pickettii.