Aeromonas species, aquatic Gram-negative bacilli, distributed globally and ubiquitously in the natural environment, may be implicated in a variety of human diseases. They can produce various b -lactamases which confer resistance to a broad spectrum of b -lactams, and therefore in vitro susceptibility testing must be used to guide antimicrobial therapy. However, conven-tional in vitro susceptibility tests may sometimes fail to detect these b -lactamases, and hence raise a therapeutic challenge. In this review article, two chromosomally mediated b -lacta-mases (i.e., AmpC b -lactamases and metallo- b -lactamases) and acquired extended-spectrum b -lactamases in aeromonads are reviewed, and the clinical implications of the complexity of b -lactamases are discussed.
Date:
2012-12
Relation:
Journal of Microbiology, Immunology and Infection. 2012 Dec;45(6):398-403.