Abstract
Metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) producing Serratia marcescens isolate was recovered from a study patient in September, 2007 in whom MBL non-producing S. marcescens had been isolated 2 months previously. Two S. marcescens isolates recovered from the study patient showed the same pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern. Seven S. marcescens isolates were recovered from other patients in our hospital during August, 2007 and November, 2007. Five of the seven isolates produced MBL. All of the MBL-producing isolates showed the same PFGE pattern and harbored plasmids of the same size and bla(IMP) genes. The bla(IMP) genes were easily transferred to Escherichia coli DH5alpha by transformation of a plasmid purified from the MBL-producing isolate. Those transformation experiments suggested that bla(IMP) genes were encoded by the plasmid. From these observations, it was speculated that the MBL non-producing S. marcescens isolate recovered from the study patient had acquired the plasmid which encoded bla(IMP) genes and a monoclone of MBL-producing S. marcescens spread horizontally in our hospital.
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