Clonal diversity of Acinetobacter clinical isolates producing NDM-type carbapenemase in Cuba, 2013-19

Our study aimed to elucidate the clonal diversity of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter clinical isolates producing NDM-type carbapenemase collected through national surveillance in Cuba during a 7-year period (2013-19).

A total of 199 isolates of Acinetobacter spp. from 37 hospitals in 12 provinces were genetically analyzed for their species, carbapenemase genes and genotypes. Sequence type (ST) and OXA-51-like gene type were determined for bla _NDM-positive isolates.

Most isolates (95%) were identified as species of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii complex, with A. baumannii being the majority. Acquired carbapenemase genes were assigned to bla _OXA or bla _NDM type; the most commonly detected gene was bla _OXA-23-like (49%), followed by bla _OXA-24-like (20%) and bla _NDM (15%). Twenty-nine bla _NDM-positive isolates (22 A. baumannii, 2 A. pittii, 2 A. johnsonii, 3 other species) were differentiated into 19 STs, including the most common, ST23. Though NDM genes were mostly typed as bla _NDM-1, a novel bla _NDM-42 was identified in an ST79 A. baumannii isolate. bla _OXA-51-like genes of NDM-positive A. baumannii were discriminated into 10 OXA types, including 2 novel ones.

Our study indicated the spread of bla _NDM to various clones of A. baumannii and other Acinetobacter spp. in Cuba.