NDM-1 carbapenemase in Acinetobacter baumannii sequence type 32 in Ecuador

Abstract

Objectives: To describe a clinical case of Acinetobacter baumannii sequence type (ST) 32 harbouring a New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) in Ecuador. Methods: We used multilocus sequence typing (MLST) to confirm the bacterial species and the sequence type of an A. baumannii isolate. We used synergy with the imipenem-EDTA disc method and the carbapenem inactivation method (CIM) to determine carbapenemase production; the presence of a carbapenemase gene was confirmed by PCR amplification and amplicon sequencing. Results: Molecular characterization revealed the presence of A. baumannii ST32 harbouring the bla NDM-1 gene in Ecuador. The bla NDM-1 gene was isolated through PCR and amplified from a purified plasmid. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of A. baumannii ST32 harbouring the bla NDM-1 gene.