Investigation of an Enterobacter hormaechei OXA-436 carbapenemase outbreak: when everything goes down the drain

Christina Raun-Petersen; Annette Toft; Mette Marie Nordestgaard; Anette Holm; Søren Overballe-Petersen; Anette M Hammerum; Henrik Hasman; Ulrik Stenz Justesen

doi:10.1016/j.infpip.2022.100228

Investigation of an Enterobacter hormaechei OXA-436 carbapenemase outbreak: when everything goes down the drain

Infect Prev Pract. 2022 Jun 30;4(3):100228. doi: 10.1016/j.infpip.2022.100228. eCollection 2022 Sep.

Authors

Christina Raun-Petersen¹, Annette Toft¹, Mette Marie Nordestgaard², Anette Holm¹, Søren Overballe-Petersen³, Anette M Hammerum³, Henrik Hasman³, Ulrik Stenz Justesen¹

Affiliations

¹ Odense University Hospital, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Odense, Denmark.
² Odense University Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Odense, Denmark.
³ Statens Serum Institut, Department of Microbiology and Infection Control, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Abstract

Over a time period of 18 months an Enterobacter hormaechei sequence type (ST) 90, harboring a bla _OXA-436 carbapenemase gene, was isolated from seven patients at Odense University Hospital, Denmark. The patients were all from the same department, but there was no apparent direct epidemiological link. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on all clinical isolates as well as on a number of environmental samples including two E. hormaechei ST90 isolates carrying the bla _OXA-436 gene, which were isolated in samples from two shower drains at the department. These drains were suspected to be the source of the outbreak.

Keywords: Carbapenemase producing organisms; Enterobacter hormaechei; Environmental transmission; Whole genome sequencing.