DETECTION OF NEW DELHI METALLO-BETA-LACTAMASE-1-PRODUCING KLEBSIELLA PNEUMONIAE AT A GENERAL HOSPITAL IN THAILAND.

The purpose of this study was to detect carbapenemase genes in clinical isolates of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) obtained from patients admitted to Hua-Hin Hospital, Prachuab Khiri Khan Province, Thailand between January and December 2014. Screening of CRE was initially determined using disk diffusion method, and subsequently using modified Hodge test (MHT). Multiplex PCR was employed to amplify carbapenemase genes, blaIMP, blaOXA-48, blaNDM blaKPC, and blaVIM. Of the 624 clinical isolates, seven CRE isolates were identified by the disk diffusion method, but were negative for MHT. Only one isolate, Klebsiella pneumoniae, was found to carry blaNDM-1, encoding New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1, and the remaining CRE isolates were negative for the carbapenemase genes looked at. However, monitoring of carbapenem resistance among Enterobacteriaceae should be for optimal infection control measures.