Plasmidic AmpC Research Articles

Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase- and Plasmidic AmpC-Producing Enterobacterales among the Faecal Samples in the Bulgarian Community.

The aim of the present work was to genetically characterise cefotaxime-resistant enterobacteria isolated from community carriers in Bulgaria. In total, 717 faecal samples from children and adults in five medical centres in Sofia, Pleven and Burgas were examined. Antimicrobial susceptibility was evaluated by the disk diffusion method. blaESBL or plasmidic AmpC (pAmpC) genes were detected by PCR and sequencing. MLST and ERIC-PCR were used to detect clonal relatedness. Among the faecal samples, 140 cefotaxime-resistant enterobacteria were found. The most frequently detected species was Escherichia coli (77.9%, 109/140 samples), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (7.9%, 11/140). Among the isolates, blaCTX-M-15 (37.1%) was predominant, followed by blaCTX-M-3 (19.2%), blaCTX-M-14 (10%), and blaCTX-M-27 (4.3 %). Genes encoding pAmpC were observed in 11.4% (blaDHA-1, 16/140) and in 1.4% (blaCMY-2, 2/140). The frequency of ESBL and pAmpC producers among the subjects was 14.6% and 2.5%, respectively. No carbapenem-resistant isolates were found. Four main clonal complexes (CC131, CC10, CC38, and CC155) were detected among E. coli isolates. The most common type was ST131, phylogroup B2 (16.5%). The increased frequency of ESBL- and pAmpC-producing enterobacteria in the community is a prerequisite for treatment failures of the associated infections and a good background for further studies.

Community Emergence of Cefixime-Resistant Escherichia coli Belonging to ST12 with Chromosomal AmpC Hyperproduction.

Escherichia coli isolates that are resistant to cefixime and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, but apparently susceptible to cefuroxime, with no ESBL identified, were initially detected in Madrid from urine samples in 2019. Throughout 2020 and 2021, all cases of community UTI by E. coli from six health areas in Madrid were studied. A representative sample of 23 cases was selected for further studies. The broth microdilution method and the agar diffusion method were performed to determine the antibiotic susceptibility. WGS was carried out for phylogeny, resistome and virulome analysis. Community consumption of third-generation oral cephalosporins in Madrid (2017-2021) was analyzed. A total of 582 (1.3%) E. coli isolates had the mentioned resistance profile. The mutation at position -32 (T > A) of the AmpC promoter was found in 21 isolates. No plasmid AmpC- or ESBL-encoding genes were detected. A cluster of 20 ST12 isolates was detected by cgMLST. A 6.2% increase in the consumption of third-generation oral cephalosporins, especially cefixime, was observed in Madrid. Chromosomal AmpC-hyperproducing ST12 E. coli isolates could be implicated in the increase in community UTI cases by cefixime-resistant isolates, which correlates with an increasing trend of cefixime consumption.

2523. Outcomes by Resistance Phenotype and Genotype among Baseline Pathogen in Patients with Complicated Urinary Tract Infection (cUTI) in the Phase 3 CERTAIN-1 Study

Abstract Background Taniborbactam is an investigational β-lactamase inhibitor that restores cefepime (FEP) activity against FEP-, carbapenem-, and multidrug-resistant Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa producing serine- and metallo-β-lactamases. Cefepime-taniborbactam (FTB) was superior to meropenem (MEM) for the primary composite endpoint of microbiologic and clinical success at test of cure (TOC) in adults with cUTI in the CERTAIN-1 study (NCT03840148). We assessed outcomes in subsets defined by baseline pathogen resistance phenotype and genotype. Methods Composite, microbiologic and clinical responses at TOC were assessed in the extended microbiologic intent-to-treat (microITT) population (patients with Enterobacterales and/or P. aeruginosa at ≥105 CFU/mL in urine at study entry against which at least 1 study drug had activity [FTB MIC ≤16 µg/mL; MEM MIC ≤2 µg/mL (Enterobacterales) or ≤4 µg/mL (P. aeruginosa)]). Phenotypic subsets included FEP-, multidrug-, and/or carbapenem resistance. Genotypic subsets included carriage of ESBL, extended-spectrum AmpC, plasmidic AmpC, and/or carbapenemase genes. Results For patients in the FTB treatment group with Enterobacterales at baseline, composite, microbiologic, and clinical success rates in resistant subsets were similar to or higher than those overall (Table). FTB achieved composite success in 7/8 patients with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales and in 8/9 patients with Enterobacterales producing a carbapenemase (5 OXA-48-group; 2 KPC-3, 2 NDM-1). FTB achieved composite success in 8/16 patients (clinical success in 13/16 patients) with P. aeruginosa overall; from 1 to 5 patients in the FTB group had P. aeruginosa in defined resistance categories. Conclusion FTB demonstrated efficacy in cUTI patients infected with cefepime-, multidrug-, and carbapenem-resistant pathogens and pathogens carrying ESBL, AmpC, and carbapenemase genes. Rates of success at TOC in each resistance subset were similar to or higher than those overall. These results are consistent with the ability of taniborbactam to restore cefepime activity against cefepime-, multidrug-, and carbapenem-resistant gram-negative pathogens producing serine and metallo-β-lactamases in nonclinical studies. Disclosures Greg Moeck, PhD, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA): Grant/Research Support|Everest Medicines: Grant/Research Support|Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP Foundation): Grant/Research Support|Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Grant/Research Support|Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employee, stock options and shareholder Leanne Gasink, MD, MSCE, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA): Grant/Research Support|CSL Behring: Advisor/Consultant|CSL Behring: Consulting fees|Everest Medicines: Grant/Research Support|Evopint Biosciences: Advisor/Consultant|Evopint Biosciences: Consulting fees|Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP Foundation): Grant/Research Support|LBG Consulting, LLC: Principal|Spero Therapeutics: Advisor/Consultant|Spero Therapeutics: Consulting fees|Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Advisor/Consultant|Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Grant/Research Support|Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Consulting fees|Vera Therapeutics: Advisor/Consultant|Vera Therapeutics: Consulting fees Mary Beth Dorr, PhD, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA): Grant/Research Support|Everest Medicines: Grant/Research Support|Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP Foundation): Grant/Research Support|Merck and Co.: Shareholder|Pfizer: Shareholder|Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Grant/Research Support|Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employee, stock options and shareholder Hongzi Chen, PhD, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA): Grant/Research Support|Everest Medicines: Grant/Research Support|Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP Foundation): Grant/Research Support|Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Grant/Research Support|Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employee|Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Stocks/Bonds Rodrigo E. Mendes, PhD, AbbVie: Grant/Research Support|Basilea: Grant/Research Support|Cipla: Grant/Research Support|Entasis: Grant/Research Support|GSK: Grant/Research Support|Paratek: Grant/Research Support|Pfizer: Grant/Research Support|Shionogi: Grant/Research Support Florian Wagenlehner, MD, Achaogen: Advisory Board member, study participation|Astellas: Honoraria|AstraZeneca: Honoraria|AstraZeneca: Advisory Board member|Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA): Grant/Research Support|Bionorica: Honoraria|Bionorica: Meeting/travel support, study participation|Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (DZIF): Study participation|Enteris BioPharma: Study participation|Everest Medicines: Grant/Research Support|German S3 guideline Urinary tract infections: Board Member|Glaxo Smith Kline: Advisor/Consultant|Glaxo Smith Kline: Honoraria|Glaxo Smith Kline: Consulting fees, meeting/travel support, advisory board member, principal investigator in a GSK-sponsored study|Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP Foundation): Grant/Research Support|Guidelines European Association of Urology: Infections in Urology: Board Member|Helperby Therapeutics: Study participation|Janssen: Honoraria|Janssen: Advisory Board member|Klosterfrau: Honoraria|LeoPharma: Advisory Board member|MerLion: Advisory Board member|MIP Pharma: Honoraria|MSD: Advisory Board member|OM Pharma/Vifor Pharma: Advisory Board member, study participation|OM-Pharma: Honoraria|Pfizer: Honoraria|Pfizer: Advisory Board member|RosenPharma: Advisory Board member|Shionogi: Advisory Board member, study participation|Speaker research group German research foundation (DFG) Bacterial Renal Infections and Defense (FOR 5427): Study participation|Spero Therapeutics: Advisor/Consultant|Spero Therapeutics: Consulting fees|University Hospital Giessen and Marburg GmbH, and Justus Liebig University, Germany: Employee|Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Advisor/Consultant|Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Grant/Research Support|Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Consulting fees, Advisory Board member Tim Henkel, MD, PhD, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA): Grant/Research Support|Everest Medicines: Grant/Research Support|Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP Foundation): Grant/Research Support|Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Advisor/Consultant|Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employee, consulting fees, shareholder Paul McGovern, MD, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA): Grant/Research Support|Everest Medicines: Grant/Research Support|Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP Foundation): Grant/Research Support|Paratek Pharmaceuticals: Shareholder|Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Grant/Research Support|Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: Employee, stock options and shareholder

Characterization of extended spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli strains isolated from urogenital system of dogs in Van province of Turkey.

Escherichia coli is a bacterial agent that causes urogenital system infection in dogs. Beta-lactam (β-lactam) group antibiotics are frequently used in the treatment of E. coli infections. This study aimed to investigate the presence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and plasmidic AmpC in E. coli strains isolated from the urogenital tracts of 125 dogs. Fifty E. coli strains were identified by conventional bacteriological and PCR methods. Disk diffusion method was used for the determination of antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates as well as productions of plasmidic AmpC and ESBL. The presence of blaTEM, blaSHV, and blaCTX-M group genes was determined in the isolates by PCR. ERIC-PCR was also used for genotyping of the isolates. Although 22 (44%) of 50 E. coli isolates were found to be ESBL positive, no isolate shows plasmidic AmpC β-lactamase production. Among 22 ESBL positive isolates, blaTEM, blaSHV, and blaCTX-M group 1 genes were found in 11 (50%), 1 (4.54%), and 6 (27.27%) isolates, respectively. The highest resistance was observed against tetracycline (28%), followed by streptomycin (24%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (24%), and chloramphenicol (22%), respectively. In the isolates, 11 different main profiles were also determined by ERIC-PCR. It was shown that ESBL positive isolates were related to G10 profiles. The use of extended spectrum β-lactam group antibiotics for the treatment of E. coli infections in dogs is critical; nevertheless, they may not be effective due to the high rate of resistance to this antibiotic group in E. coli.

641. Activity of Gepotidacin Tested Against Molecularly Characterized Escherichia coli Isolates Resistant to Commonly Used Oral Therapies for UTI in the US (2019-2020)

Abstract Background Gepotidacin is a novel first in class triazaacenaphthylene antibiotic in Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of gonorrhea and uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI). This study evaluates the epidemiology of E. coli (EC) causing UTI in US patients and the activity of gepotidacin and comparators against various subsets, including those with characterized resistance mechanisms. Methods 1,993 EC collected from 45 US sites were included as part of the Gepotidacin UTI Global Surveillance Study as part of the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program (2019-2020). Isolates were tested for susceptibility (S) by CLSI methods and CLSI interpretations were applied. Isolates that met MIC criteria for screening of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes were subjected to genome sequencing followed by ESBL gene screening and epidemiology typing (MLST, O:H, and fimH). Results A total of 84.4% (1,682/1,993) EC were ESBL negative (Table). Among these isolates, 16.5% (278/1,682) were not S to the fluoroquinolones (FQ) ciprofloxacin and/or levofloxacin, whereas 26.2% (440/1,682) were not S to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT). An ESBL phenotype was noted in 15.6% (311/1,993) of EC, which tended to be mostly not S to the FQs (79.7%), SXT (61.7%), amoxicillin-clavulanate (52.9%), and oral cephalosporins (99.7%). Most ESBL isolates carried CTX-M alleles alone (81.4%; 253/311), whereas 9.6% (30/311) had plasmid AmpC genes. Approximately half (56.3%; 175/311) of ESBL isolates belonged to clonal complex (CC) 131, of which 70.9% (124/175) were O25b:H4 and carried fimH30. Overall, gepotidacin had MIC90 of 2-4 mg/L against various phenotypic/genotypic subsets. Conclusion High rates of EC not S to commonly used oral agents (FQs and SXT) were observed. ESBL phenotype further compromised the activity of oral agents, including oral cephalosporins. Gepotidacin had potent and stable in vitro activity against various subsets, including the resistant CC131 O25b:H4 clone. These data support the further clinical development of gepotidacin as a treatment option for UTI caused by EC, including resistant isolates against which other oral treatment options are limited. Disclosures Rodrigo E. Mendes, PhD, AbbVie: Grant/Research Support|Cidara: Grant/Research Support|GSK: Grant/Research Support|Melinta: Grant/Research Support|Nabriva Therapeutics: Grant/Research Support|Office for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs: Grant/Research Support|Pfizer: Grant/Research Support|Shionogi: Grant/Research Support|Spero Therapeutics: Grant/Research Support SJ Ryan Arends, PhD, AbbVie: Grant/Research Support|GSK: Grant/Research Support|Nabriva Therapeutics: Grant/Research Support|Shionogi: Grant/Research Support John H. Kimbrough, PhD, AbbVie: Grant/Research Support|GSK: Grant/Research Support Valerie Kantro, BA, AbbVie: Grant/Research Support|GSK: Grant/Research Support|Melinta: Grant/Research Support|Shionogi: Grant/Research Support Nicole E. Scangarella-Oman, MS, GlaxoSmithKline plc.: Employee and shareholder Jennifer M. Streit, BS, MT(ASCP), Cidara: Grant/Research Support|GSK: Grant/Research Support|Melinta: Grant/Research Support|Shionogi: Grant/Research Support Mariana Castanheira, PhD, AbbVie: Grant/Research Support|Cidara: Grant/Research Support|GSK: Grant/Research Support|Melinta: Grant/Research Support|Pfizer: Grant/Research Support|Shionogi: Grant/Research Support.

Rapid Detection of Plasmid AmpC Beta-Lactamases by a Flow Cytometry Assay.

Plasmidic AmpC (pAmpC) enzymes are responsible for the hydrolysis of extended-spectrum cephalosporins but they are not routinely investigated in many clinical laboratories. Phenotypic assays, currently the reference methods, are cumbersome and culture dependent. These methods compare the activity of cephalosporins with and without class C inhibitors and the results are provided in 24–48 h. Detection by molecular methods is quicker, but several genes should be investigated. A new assay for the rapid phenotypic detection of pAmpC enzymes of the Enterobacterales group-I (not usually AmpC producers) based on flow cytometry technology was developed and validated. The technology was evaluated in two sites: FASTinov, a spin-off of Porto University (Portugal) where the technology was developed, and the Microbiology Department of Ramón y Cajal University Hospital in Madrid (Spain). A total of 100 strains were phenotypically screened by disk diffusion for the pAmpC with the new 2 h assay. Molecular detection of the pAmpC genes was also performed on discrepant results. Forty-two percent of the strains were phenotypically classified as pAmpC producers using disk diffusion. The percentage of agreement of the flow cytometric assay was 93.0%, with 95.5% sensitivity and 91.1% specificity. Our proposed rapid assay based on flow cytometry technology can, in two hours, accurately detect pAmpC enzymes.

Systematic Review of Plasmid AmpC Type Resistances in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae and Preliminary Proposal of a Simplified Screening Method for ampC.

Beta-lactamase (BL) production is a major public health problem. Although not the most frequent AmpC type, AmpC-BL is increasingly isolated, especially plasmid AmpC-BL (pAmpC-BL). The objective of this study was to review information published to date on pAmpC-BL in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and on the epidemiology and detection methods used by clinical microbiology laboratories, by performing a systematic review using the MEDLINE PubMed database. The predictive capacity of a screening method to detect AmpC-BL using disks with cloxacillin (CLX) was also evaluated by studying 102 Enterobacteriaceae clinical isolates grown in CHROMID ESBL medium with the addition of cefepime (FEP), cefoxitin (FOX), ertapenem (ETP), CLX, and oxacillin with CLX. The review, which included 149 publications, suggests that certain risk factors (prolonged hospitalization and previous use of cephalosporins) are associated with infections by pAmpC-BL-producing microorganisms. The worldwide prevalence has increased over the past 10 years, with a positivity rate ranging between 0.1 and 40%, although AmpC was only detected when sought in a targeted manner. CMY-2 type has been the most prevalent pAmpC-BL-producing microorganism. The most frequently used phenotypic method has been the double-disk synergy test (using CLX disks or phenyl-boronic acid and cefotaxime [CTX] and ceftazidime) and the disk method combined with these inhibitors. In regard to screening methods, a 1-µg oxacillin disk with CLX showed 88.9% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% positive predictive value (PPV), 98.9% negative predictive value (NPV), and 98.9% validity index (VI). This predictive capacity is reduced with the addition of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases, showing 62.5% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% PPV, 93.5% NPV, and 94.1% VI. In conclusion, there has been a worldwide increase in the number of isolates with pAmpC-BL, especially in Asia, with CMY-2 being the most frequently detected pAmpC-BL-producing type of microorganism. Reduction in its spread requires routine screening with a combination of phenotypic methods (with AmpC inhibitors) and genotypic methods (multiplex PCR). In conclusion, the proposed screening technique is an easy-to-apply and inexpensive test for the detection of AmpC-producing isolates in the routine screening of multidrug-resistant microorganisms.

Non-diarrhoeic pigs as source of highly virulent and multidrug-resistant non-typhoidal Salmonella.

Food-producing animals act as reservoirs of non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) serovars with potential food safety and public health implications. The present cross-sectional study aimed at determining the prevalence of Salmonella serotypes in non-diarrhoeic pigs and characterizing the isolates using molecular tools. Salmonella isolates (n = 22) recovered from faecal samples of 194 randomly selected pigs were characterized for virulence and antimicrobial resistance and subtyped using XbaI-PFGE. The prevalence of Salmonella in apparently healthy non-diarrhoeic pigs was 11.3% (95%CI, 4.3-19.5%), with S. Weltevreden (81.8%) and S. Enteritidis (18.2%) being the serotypes detected. Salmonella isolates harboured virulence genes such as invA (100%), stn (100%), spvR/spvC (86.3%) and fimA (22.7%). Phenotypically, isolates showed sensitivity to chloramphenicol, levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin and resistance to tetracycline and ampicillin (100%), streptomycin (86.4%), amoxicillin-clavulanate (63.6%), cefotaxime (22.7%) and ceftriaxone (9.1%). Notably, 18.2% isolates were multidrug-resistant (≥ 3 antimicrobial class) with multiple antimicrobial resistance (MAR) index of 0.56-0.67 (18.2%), 0.44 (45.5%), 0.33 (31.8%) and 0.22 (4.5%). Genotypically, isolates carried various antibiotic resistance genes: ESBL (blaTEM and blaOXA), aminoglycoside (strA, strB and aadA1), sulphonamide (sul1, sul2 and dfrA1), tetracycline (tetA and tetB) and plasmid AmpC beta-lactamase (ACC, FOX, MOX, DHA, CIT and EBC). The present investigation emphasizes the epidemiological significance of PFGE typing in the detection of emerging strains of highly virulent and multidrug-resistant S. Weltevreden and S. Enteritidis in non-diarrhoeic pigs that pose serious public health implications in the pork supply chain environment. More extensive longitudinal study is warranted to provide epidemiological links between environmental reservoirs and animal and human infections in piggery settings.

Effect of the Different Plasmid-Mediated AmpC Beta-Lactamase Genotypes on the Phenotypic Detection of ESBL in Enterobacteriaceae Isolates.

Increasingly, Enterobacteriaceae isolates that are positive for the extended-spectrum-beta-lactamase (ESBL) by phenotypic screening tests yield a negative result when tested with the reference Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) ESBL confirmatory test. The aim is to determine to what extent the different plasmid AmpC (pAmpC) genotypes could affect the CLSI ESBL confirmatory test for detection of the ESBL phenotype in ESBL/pAmpC co-producers. A total of 253 Enterobacteriaceae isolates were screened for ESBL and AmpC production according to CLSI guidelines. Out of 186 ESBL and AmpC-screen-positive isolates, 96 isolates were selected for ESBL confirmation by the combined disc diffusion test (CDDT) as well as for detection of the most common ESBL and pAmpC encoding-genes by multiplex PCR. Out of the 96 ESBL/AmpC-screen-positive isolates, all (100%) were positive for at least one of the investigated ESBL genes, and 88 (91.7%) were positive for any of the investigated pAmpC genes. CDDT correctly identified ESBL phenotype more frequently in non-pAmpC carriers than pAmpC carriers (75% vs. 52.3%). CIT alone-containing isolates were associated more with non-confirmed ESBL phenotype rather than confirmed ESBL phenotype (76.2% vs. 30.4%, p < 0.001), especially when co-harbored blaCTXM alone (76.9% vs. 33.3%, p < 0.001) or both blaCTXM/blaSHV genes (100% vs. 0%). On the other hand, DHA-carrying isolates were more associated with confirmed ESBL phenotype than with non-confirmed ESBL phenotype when co-harboring either blaCTXM alone (47.6% vs. 0%, p < 0.001) or blaCTXM/blaSHV genes (100% vs. 0%, p = 0.022) or blaCTX-M/blaTEM genes (100% vs. 0%, p = 0.03). For ESBL/pAmpC co-producers of Enterobacteriaceae, CDDT results vary with the type of pAmpC genes and with different ESBL/pAmpC genotype combinations. Therefore, the ESBL-screening test is more sensitive than the CDDT in detecting ESBL phenotype among ESBL/pAmpC coproducers of Enterobacteriaceae.

1081. Antimicrobial Activity of Ceftibuten-Avibactam against Clinical Isolates of Enterobacterales Producing Clinically Relevant Beta-Lactamases

1081. Antimicrobial Activity of Ceftibuten-Avibactam against Clinical Isolates of <i>Enterobacterales</i> Producing Clinically Relevant Beta-Lactamases

1254. Molecular Epidemiology of Escherichia coli Causing Urinary Tract Infections in United States and in vitro Activity of Tebipenem, Including Against Strain Lineage and Resistant subsets (2018-2020)

1254. Molecular Epidemiology of <i>Escherichia coli</i> Causing Urinary Tract Infections in United States and <i>in vitro</i> Activity of Tebipenem, Including Against Strain Lineage and Resistant subsets (2018-2020)

Characterisation of AmpC / ESBL genes in some pathogen gram-negatives isolated from clinical cases of livestock and companion animals

Abstract This study was aimed to search and characterize the AmpC and/or ESBL genes of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from clinical cases of local livestock and companion animals between 2017 and 2019. A total of eight ceftiofur-resistant E. coli (n= 7) and ceftiofur-resistant K. pneumoniae (n= 1) and seven P. aeruginosa were isolated from different cases in local animals. By combination disc method, six E. coli isolates and one K. pneumoniae isolate were found to be ESBL producers. By combination of the disc method and double disc synergy test, no P. aeruginosa isolates were found as ESBL producers. In the agar disc diffusion test (ADDT) performed with cefoxitin and cefoxitin-boronic, only one E. coli was determined as AmpC producer. In ESBL-producing isolates, only the CTX-M class gene was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and subsequent sequence analysis revealed CTX-M-3 and CTX-M-15 variants. An AmpC positive E. coli isolate was found to carry plasmidic ampC gene in cmy-2 variant from CIT family. It was observed that P. aeruginosa isolates did not carry the plasmidic ampC gene. After the chromosomal ampC gene of one P. aeruginosa was amplified by PCR and sequenced, R79Q and T105A mutations in the chromosomal ampC gene was revealed. This showed that overproduction of the ampC enzyme is involved in the resistance to β-lactams in P. aeruginosa isolates in the study.

In vitro activity of the orally bioavailable ceftibuten/VNRX-7145 (VNRX-5236 etzadroxil) combination against a challenge set of Enterobacterales pathogens carrying molecularly characterized β-lactamase genes.

ObjectivesThis study assessed the activity of ceftibuten, ceftibuten combined with the active form (VNRX-5236) of the β-lactamase inhibitor VNRX-7145 and comparators against a challenge set of Gram-negative pathogens.MethodsTwo hundred and five Enterobacterales carrying plasmid AmpC (53 isolates), ESBL (50), KPC (50), OXA-48-like (49) or OXA-48-like with KPC (3) encoding genes were selected. Susceptibility was determined by broth microdilution. VNRX-5236 and avibactam were tested at a fixed concentration of 4 mg/L.ResultsCeftibuten/VNRX-5236 (MIC50/90 0.12/1 mg/L) MIC values were 256-fold lower than those of ceftibuten (MIC50/90 32/256 mg/L) for all Enterobacterales and 2- to 4-fold lower than those of ceftazidime/avibactam (MIC50/90 0.5/2 mg/L). For isolates producing a plasmid-encoded AmpC, VNRX-5236 decreased ceftibuten MIC (MIC50/90 0.12/1 mg/L) by at least 512-fold compared with ceftibuten (MIC50/90 128/>256 mg/L). Ceftibuten/VNRX-5236 (MIC50/90 0.06/0.12 mg/L) and meropenem (MIC50/90 ≤0.03/0.06 mg/L; 100% susceptible) showed comparable activities against ESBL isolates and these agents had MIC90 values 4- to 8-fold lower than that of ceftazidime/avibactam (MIC50/90 0.25/0.5 mg/L; 100% susceptible). Ceftibuten/VNRX-5236 (MIC50/90 0.12/0.5 mg/L) had the lowest MIC for KPC producers, followed by ceftazidime/avibactam (MIC50/90 2/4 mg/L; 98.0% susceptible). The same MIC90 values were obtained for ceftibuten/VNRX-5236 (MIC50/90 0.25/1 mg/L) and ceftazidime/avibactam (MIC50/90 1/1 mg/L; 100.0% susceptible) for isolates carrying blaOXA-48-like. VNRX-5236 decreased the ceftibuten MIC at least 16-fold for three isolates carrying blaOXA-48-like and blaKPC.ConclusionsVNRX-5236 rescued the in vitro activity of ceftibuten against Enterobacterales carrying common serine β-lactamases, including ESBL, AmpC and the KPC and OXA-48-like carbapenemases. Ceftibuten/VNRX-5236 may have potential as an oral treatment for infections caused by resistant Enterobacterales, while sparing carbapenems.

The Spread of Plasmidic AmpC in a General Lebanese Hospital Over Nine Consecutive Years and the Relationship With Restricted Isolation Protocols.

Background: The dreaded bacterial infection by extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)-producers has always troubled the medical field whether on the public, scientific, or clinical levels. One of the lesser known β-lactamases, which is capable of hydrolyzing broad and extended-spectrum cephalosporins—i.e., cephamycins plus oxyimino-β-lactams—are the AmpC β-lactamases. This group, which has also been termed occasionally—and incorrectly—as ESBL Class C, confers resistance to β-lactamase inhibitors. The prevalence of plasmidic AmpC (pAmpC) strains is possibly still a matter of debate considering the unevenly matched data between phenotypically-detected and molecularly-detected pAmpC.Aim: In the absence of any study in Lebanon addressing the AmpC, our intention was to determine the numbers and percentages of AmpC Enterobacteriaceae isolates, notably plasmid-mediated ones, across different wards at the Centre Hospitalier du Nord (CHN), Lebanon, and highlight the importance of infection control protocols.Materials and Methods: Carriage and infection with pAmpC Enterobacteriaceae were retrospectively investigated between 2011 and 2015 and prospectively between 2016 and 2019 at the Centre Hospitalier du Nord Hospital, North Lebanon. The rise or decline in the numbers of such strains, in concordance with the allegedly intensive isolation of the patients, were analyzed.Results: Intensive care unit (ICU) data shows an initial rise in infection isolates from 2012 to 2014 and in the carriage isolates from 2012 to 2013 with later notable overall decrease in the both isolates' numbers with the application of the isolation protocols at CHN from 2014 onwards. Floors 2, 3, and 4 seemed to house the bulk of the isolates as well.Conclusion: Preventive measures, such as on-going surveillance of the hospital wards by specialized healthcare personnel and strict implementation of infection control practices, should be a top priority in any medical center in order to isolate such strains and try to put a limit for the development and the dissemination of any possible multidrug resistant strains.

Molecular Epidemiology of AmpC-Producing Klebsiella Pneumoniae Isolated from Perioperative Patients in a Tertiary Hospital

Background: Extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant organisms are the sources of AmpC- type β-lactamase isolates. AmpC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates are a major challenge in clinics due to their high rate of antibiotic resistance. This study aimed to detect AmpC β-lactamases in K. pneumoniae isolated from hospitalized patients with a surgical history. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 120 urine catheter samples. After antibiotic susceptibility testing, plasmid-mediated AmpC was detected by double-disc plus combined disc test (DCDT) and three-dimensional extract test (TDET). The genotypic detection of plasmid-mediated AmpC was carried out using multiplex-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: Of 120 samples, 60 (50%) instances of K. pneumoniae were isolated. The highest and lowest resistance rates were related to cefotaxime (CTX) (50%) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) (23.3%), respectively. 18.3% (n: 11) K. pneumoniae showed an AmpC phenotype in DCDT and TDET tests. AmpC genotyping showed that the prevalence of CIT, DHA, EBC, and ACC genotypes were 47.1%, 35.3%, 29.5%, and 23.6%, respectively. MOX and FOX genotypes were not identified in the isolates of interest. Conclusion: AmpC β-lactamase identification tests should be considered a routine microbiology workup for gram-negative microorganisms. Multiplex-PCR can identify the plasmid AmpC genotypes.

Spread of plasmidic AmpC in a general Lebanese hospital over 5 consecutive years and relationship with restricted isolation protocol

Spread of plasmidic AmpC in a general Lebanese hospital over 5 consecutive years and relationship with restricted isolation protocol

Conjugative plasmidic AmpC detected in Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Klebsiella pneumoniae human clinical isolates from Portugal

AmpC is a type of β-lactamase enzyme produced by bacteria; these enzymes are classified in Class C and Group 1, and these confer resistance to cephamycin. Enterobacterales producing AmpC are reported worldwide and have great clinical importance due to therapeutic restriction and epidemiological importance once the easy dissemination by plasmidic genes to other bacteria is a real threat. These genes are naturally found in some enterobacteria as Enterobacter cloacae, Morganella morganii, and Citrobacter freundii, but other species have demonstrated similar resistance phenotype of AmpC production. Genes carried in plasmids have been described in these species conferring resistance to cefoxitin and causing therapeutic failure in some bacterial infections. This work detected and described five clinical strains of Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, and Klebsiella pneumoniae that presented plasmid ampC (pAmpC) isolated from the north of Portugal collected in 2009. AmpC production was confirmed by inhibition of the enzyme by cloxacillin and boronic acid in agar diffusion tests. Also, PCR (polymerase chain reaction) was performed for the detection of gene universal to AmpC, blaampC, and others to AmpC group: blaACC, blaCIT, blaCMY, blaDHA, and blaEBC. The conjugation in liquid medium for 24 h was realized to determine if gene is localized in chromosome or plasmid. The isolates and their conjugants showed phenotypic characteristics and blaCMY and blaCIT were detected by PCR corroborating the AmpC characteristics observed in these bacteria. Confirmation of transfer of plasmid containing genes encoding AmpC is of high epidemiological relevance to the hospital studied and demonstrated the importance of AmpC surveillance and studies in hospital and community environments in order to choose the appropriate therapy for bacterial infections.

Performance of a novel fluorogenic probe assay for the detection of extended-spectrum-β-lactamase or plasmid AmpC β-lactamase–producing Enterobacterales directly from simulated blood culture bottles

Resistance to third generation cephalosporins is widely disseminated in Enterobacteriaceae mainly because of extended-spectrum-β-lactamases (ESBL), plasmid AmpC β-lactamases (PABL), and hyper-production of chromosomal AmpC β-lactamases. Here, we evaluated the performance of rapid test using novel fluorogenic probe assay in simulated blood cultures and compared the results with the phenol red assay using a total of 172 characterized isolates (39 ESBL producers, 13 PABL producers, and 120 susceptible isolates). We prepared a pellet by centrifugation and washing, which can also be used for identification with MALDI-TOF directly from positive blood cultures. After that, we mixed the pellet with fluorogenic probe and measured the fluorescent signal using fluorometer. The fluorogenic probe assay showed higher sensitivity than the phenol red assay (96.2% vs. 71.2%, p < .0001) in 172 simulated blood culture bottles especially in detecting PABL (84.6% vs. 0%, p = .0026) and the turnaround time was 1.5 h. This fluorogenic probe assay, combined with the direct identification of pathogens, could be very useful for rapid identification of isolates and detecting cephalosporin resistance caused by ESBL and PABL directly from positive blood cultures.

Characterisation of extended-spectrum β-lactamase/plasmid AmpC-β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli isolates from long-term recurrent bloodstream infections

The aim of this study was to investigate recurrent infections in individual patients caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase and plasmid AmpC β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL/pAmpC-Ec) isolates with >12-month interval. The Danish national collection of ESBL/pAmpC-Ec isolates collected from January 2014 through June 2017 was screened for patients with multiple isolates with >12 months between the episodes. Isolates underwent whole-genome sequencing and were analysed for antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence genes and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Isolates were subtyped by core genome MLST (cgMLST) and CH typing. From a total of 970 patients, 15 unrelated patients experienced recurrent infections with ESBL/pAmpC-Ec. Of the 15 patients, 10 (67%) were found to be infected a second or third time with a genetically identical or similar strain. The resistance and virulence properties of the strains were similar in individual patients, however they were quite diverse when comparing between patients. Recurrent ESBL/pAmpC-Ec bloodstream infections of genetically related strains occurring with >12-month interval might be related to the previous episode and to a lesser extent be caused by re-infection. With >1000 days between the first and second episode of genetically similar strains (four allele differences), the recurrent infection is likely due to long-term host colonisation by ESBL/pAmpC-Ec. From this analysis, strains able to cause such recurrent infection were relatively diverse between patients. Knowledge about host and strain factors influencing such recurrent infections is needed to implement preventive measures.

High Genetic Diversity of Enterobacteriaceae Clones and Plasmids Disseminating Resistance to Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporins and Colistin in Healthy Chicken in Tunisia.

Enterobacteriaceae resistant to extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESC-R) are listed as "priority pathogens" by the World Health Organization, and the Agri-food sector has regularly been pointed out as a potential source of ESC-R for humans through food consumption and animal handling. Chicken industry and chicken meat have recurrently been under specific scrutiny due to the high proportions of ESC-R reported worldwide in this sector. In Tunisia, recent studies suggested that the plasmidic AmpC blaCMY-2 gene may have emerged in chicken. We thus collected 258 cloacal swabs from five different farms and selected ESC-R isolates to determine the current ESC-R prevalence and epidemiology. All five farms were ESC-R positive with proportions ranging from 4% to 67.3%. blaCTX-M-1/IncI1/ST3 was the dominant gene/plasmid association in chicken, but several other CTX-M genes and plasmid backgrounds were shown to spread ESC-R. Surprisingly, the CMY-2 enzyme was only identified in one isolate. In addition, we also reported the sporadic presence of the mcr-1 gene carried by an IncHI2 plasmid. Our data suggest that the high diversity of Enterobacteriaceae clones and plasmids circulating in healthy chicken in Tunisia maintains a high ESC-R proportion in flocks and constitutes a major source of ESC-R determinants further disseminating in the food chain.