Complex and CTX-M Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases in Algeria.

We evaluated the β-lactam resistance phenotypes of clinical and environmental strains of the (ECC) isolated from three Algerian hospitals. The first combination of API 20E, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), and hsp60 genetic clustering methodologies were carried out for the identification of ECC strains. Our research showed that API 20E and MALDI TOF MS are satisfactory in genus identification of ECC strains, but sequence-based methods are then necessary to discriminate the species and subspecies levels. Among 36 ECC strains, 94.44% belonged to species. Twenty-five isolates clustered with the reference strain of subsp. , making it the most frequently isolated subspecies. was found only once (2.77%). All ECC isolates were phenotypically extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producers and were resistant to ticarcillin, piperacillin, cefoxitin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, and aztreonam, but susceptible to ertapenem and imipenem. The genetic analyses only allowed the detection of resistance genes of the group (32 strains, 88.9%), including (30 strains), (1 strain), and (1 strain). We report for the first time the detection of CTX-M-22 among ECC strains in an Algerian hospital (Tlemcen hospital). None of the isolated strains harbored , or group genes. In this review, we address recent comparison in the identification methods of multidrug-resistant in Algeria, focusing also on the CTX-M ESBLs. This represents a serious public health challenge, which requires the clarification of the current situation and warrants the reinforcement of hygiene measures in the Algerian hospitals.