Isolates from faecal samples (n = 224) from the UK and Hungary were screened for carbapenem-resistant Bacteroides strains and were consecutively investigated for the resistance mechanisms through detection of cfiA genes, the presence or lack of insertion sequence insertions in their upstream regions and the production of carbapenemase activities. In this way, a significant number of strains (n = 7, 3.1%) were recovered. They included 2 Bacteroides fragilis strains (one in each country) which harboured cfiA genes, but which were not activated by insertion sequence elements; this is reminiscent of some novel clinical B. fragilis strains. The cfiA-negative strains exhibited lower levels of carbapenem resistance and varying levels of carbapenemase activity, suggesting that other resistance mechanisms may also exist.