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Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Isolation and Chemical Characterization of Lipid A from Gram-negative Bacteria
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Molecular Epidemiology of Endemic Carbapenem-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria in an Intensive Care Unit

Theodoros Karampatakis1,2, Katerina Tsergouli2, Lida Politi3

  • 11 Infectious Disease Unit, 3rd Department of Pediatrics, Medical Faculty, Aristotle University School of Health Sciences, Hippokration General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Microbial Drug Resistance (Larchmont, N.Y.)
|December 28, 2018
PubMed

Insights

This study investigated endemic carbapenem-resistant bacteria in an ICU. A novel carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain was found, alongside predominant carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Molecular Epidemiology

Background:

  • High rates of carbapenem resistance in intensive care units (ICUs) pose a significant threat.
  • Endemic carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA), and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) are major challenges in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular epidemiology of endemic carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP), CRPA, and CRAB.
  • To identify novel resistance mechanisms and prevalent clones within an ICU in an endemic area.

Main Methods:

  • Molecular typing techniques were employed to analyze bacterial isolates.
  • Detection of carbapenemase genes, including VIM, KPC, and OXA-23-like.

Main Results:

  • A CRPA strain concurrently producing VIM and KPC carbapenemases was identified for the first time in an endemic area.
  • CRKP strains, predominantly producing KPC, were mainly associated with the "hyperepidemic Greek clone."
  • OXA-23-like producing CRAB strains were diverse and belonged to multiple pulsotypes.

Conclusions:

  • The study highlights the complex molecular epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria in an endemic ICU.
  • The emergence of co-harboring carbapenemase genes in CRPA and the dominance of specific clones underscore the need for targeted surveillance and control strategies.
Keywords:
carbapenemaseintensive care unitmolecular epidemiology

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