Detection of the novel IMP-38 among carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in a university hospital, China.

INTRODUCTION This study set out to investigate the molecular epidemiology of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates collected from Xiang Ya Hospital, Hunan, China. METHODOLOGY The carbapenemase genes from Enterobacteriaceae isolates were determined by PCR and sequencing. Relatedness of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates was evaluated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. RESULTS Twenty-four out of 738 non-repetitive Enterobacteriaceae isolates harbored carbapenemase genes including IMP-38, a novel IMP-type metallo-enzyme. Nine IMP-38-producing isolates were shown to originate from the same clone and caused a small outbreak in the neonatal ward. CONCLUSIONS IMP-38, a novel IMP-type metallo-enzyme, was one of the predominant types of carbapenemase in the clinical carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates in our hospital.