Rapid emergence and spread of OXA-48-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates in Belgian hospitals

During a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based surveillance study of beta-lactam resistance, 19 OXA-48-positive enterobacterial isolates were detected at nine Belgian hospitals from January 2010 to April 2011. Most cases were presumed to have been locally acquired and were detected in patients who had not travelled abroad. Clonally related outbreaks occurred in two different cities. The majority of isolates co-produced several beta-lactamases as well as non-beta-lactam resistance genes. This report highlights the rapid emergence and spread of OXA-48-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Belgium. (C) 2011 Elsevier B. V. and the International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.