DISTRIBUTION OF CPHA OR RELATED CARBAPENEMASE-ENCODING GENES AND PRODUCTION OF CARBAPENEMASE ACTIVITY IN MEMBERS OF THE GENUS AEROMONAS

The prevalence of the cphA gene or related carbapenemase-encoding genes was investigated in 114 Aeromonas strains belonging to the six species of major clinical interest. A species-related distribution of cphA-related sequences was observed. Similar sequences were found in A. hydrophila, A. veronii by. sobria, A. veronii by. veronii, and A. jandaei, but not in A. caviae, A. trota, or A. schubertii. However, a single A. caviae strain (of 62 tested) was found carrying cphA-related sequences, suggesting the possibility of the horizontal transfer of this gene to species which normally do not carry it, Production of carbapenemase activity was detectable in 83% of the hybridization-positive strains but in none of the hybridization-negative ones. When it was present, carbapenemase activity was always inhibitable by EDTA. Either carbapenemase-producing or not, Aeromonas strains appeared to be susceptible to imipenem when in vitro susceptibility testing was performed,vith inocula of conventional size (10(5) CFU), for which MICs were always less than or equal to 1 mu g/ml. With a larger inoculum (10(8) CFU), the MICs for carbapenemase-negative strains always remained less than or equal to 1 mu g/ml, while those for carbapenemase-producing strains were always greater than or equal to 4 mu g/ml, being usually higher than the breakpoint for susceptibility, The present results indicate that the production of metallocarbapenemase activity, apparently encoded by cphA homologs, is widespread among some of the Aeromonas species of clinical interest (A. hydrophila, A. veronii by. sobria, A. veronii by. veronii, and A. jandaei) and that imipenem MICs for carbapenemase-producing strains are subjected to a relevant inoculum size effect.