Emergence of VIM-6 metallo-beta-lactamase-producing Alcaligenes faecalis clinical isolates in a hospital in India.

Background Alcaligenes faecalis (A.faecalis) is a Gramnegative, rod-shaped, motile, oxidase, catalase and citrate positive obligate aerobe that is commonly found in the environment. A. faecalis is the most frequently isolated member of family Alcaligenaceae in the clinical laboratory. Infections caused by A. faecalis are opportunistic and are acquired from moist items such as nebulizers, respirators, and lavage fluid [1]. It has been reported to cause peritonitis, urinary tract infection (UTI), bacteremia and acute otitis media [1,2]. Although presence of PER-1 and TEM-21 Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamases (ESBL) have been reported in clinical isolates of A. faecalis [3,4], carbapenem resistance has not yet been reported. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of carbapenem resistance among clinical isolates of A. faecalis recovered from hospitalized patients in a tertiary care centre in Pune, India.