SummaryBackgroundGram-negative Enterobacteriaceae with resistance to carbapenem conferred by New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase 1 (NDM-1) are potentially a major global health problem. We investigated the prevalence of NDM-1, in multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in India, Pakistan, and the UK.MethodsEnterobacteriaceae isolates were studied from two major centres in India—Chennai (south India), Haryana (north India)—and those referred to the UK's national reference laboratory. Antibiotic susceptibilities were assessed, and the presence of the carbapenem resistance gene blaNDM-1 was established by PCR. Isolates were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of XbaI-restricted genomic DNA. Plasmids were analysed by S1 nuclease digestion and PCR typing. Case data for UK patients were reviewed for evidence of travel and recent admission to hospitals in India or Pakistan.FindingsWe identified 44 isolates with NDM-1 in Chennai, 26 in Haryana, 37 in the UK, and 73 in other sites in India and Pakistan. NDM-1 was mostly found among Escherichia coli (36) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (111), which were highly resistant to all antibiotics except to tigecycline and colistin. K pneumoniae isolates from Haryana were clonal but NDM-1 producers from the UK and Chennai were clonally diverse. Most isolates carried the NDM-1 gene on plasmids: those from UK and Chennai were readily transferable whereas those from Haryana were not conjugative. Many of the UK NDM-1 positive patients had travelled to India or Pakistan within the past year, or had links with these countries.InterpretationThe potential of NDM-1 to be a worldwide public health problem is great, and co-ordinated international surveillance is needed.FundingEuropean Union, Wellcome Trust, and Wyeth.

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Objective: Increasing prevalence of carbapenem resistant Gram negative bacteria is a serious clinical and public health challenge. Bacteria resistant to all available antibiotics (Pan Drug Resistance) herald the onset of post antibiotics era. We hereby report clinical profile of 13 patients with pan drug resistant gram negative isolates. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 13 patients with pan drug resistant gram negative isolates over the last 18 months was done by medical records review. Identification of the isolates and susceptibility testing was done using VITEK auto analyzer in concordance with the corresponding CLSI guidelines. Results: Out of four patients with bacteremic isolates, three patients received colistin based combination therapy. Though two of these patients had microbiologic clearance, all the three died. Out of the 9 patients with non bacteremic isolates, 4 had infection and 5 had colonization. Three (out of four) were treated with combination therapy including colistin and one patient received colistin monotherapy. All four patients had microbiological clearance. Three patients had clinical cure and were discharged. One patient later developed bacteremia and died. Conclusion: Infections, particularly blood stream with pan drug resistant organisms has a higher mortality. Urgent studies to reevaluate existing therapeutic options and research into new antibiotic molecules are the need of the hour.

Extended spectrum β lactamases (ESBLs) continue to be a major problem in clinical setups world over, conferring resistance to the expanded spectrum cephalosporins. An attempt was made to study ESBL production among Enterobacteriaceae members from a tertiary care center in Chennai. A total of seventy randomly collected isolates of the family Enterobacteriaceae from a tertiary care center was studied for their susceptibility patterns to various antibiotics and detection of ESBL producers by double disc synergy (DDS) test and three dimensional test (TDT). Eighty percent of the isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR) and 20% were ESBL producers. TDT detected 85.7% whereas only 14.2% were detected by DDS. In the present study, a large number of isolates were found to be MDR and ESBL producers. TDTs were found to be better than DDS in the detection of ESBLs. Continued monitoring of drug resistance is necessary in clinical settings for proper disease management.

Corynebacterium species should be considered one of the causative agents of breast abscess and a varied susceptibility profile amongst the different species makes susceptibility testing important. Identification by MALDI-TOF Vitek MS system may not differentiate between C. amycolatum and C. xerosis.