Genomic epidemiology of global VIM-producing Enterobacteriaceae.

BACKGROUND

International data on the molecular epidemiology of Enterobacteriaceae with VIM carbapenemases are limited.

METHODS

We performed short read (Illumina) WGS on a global collection of 89 VIM-producing clinical Enterobacteriaceae (2008-14).

RESULTS

VIM-producing (11 varieties within 21 different integrons) isolates were mostly obtained from Europe. Certain integrons with bla VIM were specific to a country in different species and clonal complexes (CCs) (In 87 , In 624 , In 916 and In 1323 ), while others had spread globally among various Enterobacteriaceae species (In 110 and In 1209 ). Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most common species ( n  = 45); CC147 from Greece was the most prevalent clone and contained In 590 -like integrons with four different bla VIM s. Enterobacter cloacae complex was the second most common species and mainly consisted of Enterobacter hormaechei ( Enterobacter xiangfangensis , subsp. steigerwaltii and Hoffmann cluster III). CC200 (from Croatia and Turkey), CC114 (Croatia, Greece, Italy and the USA) and CC78 (from Greece, Italy and Spain) containing bla VIM-1 were the most common clones among the E. cloacae complex.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the importance of surveillance programmes using the latest molecular techniques in providing insight into the characteristics and global distribution of Enterobacteriaceae with bla VIM s.