1. NDM-1 has arrived: first report of a carbapenem resistance mechanism in South Africa.
- Author
-
Lowman W, Sriruttan C, Nana T, Bosman N, Duse A, Venturas J, Clay C, and Coetzee J
- Subjects
- Drug Resistance, Microbial physiology, Enterobacteriaceae enzymology, HIV Infections epidemiology, Humans, Male, Microbial Sensitivity Tests, Middle Aged, South Africa, Carbapenems pharmacology, Enterobacter cloacae drug effects, Enterobacteriaceae Infections drug therapy, Sputum microbiology, beta-Lactamases isolation & purification
- Abstract
The New Delhi Metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) resistance mechanism in Enterobacteriaceae threatens to render serious Gram-negative infections untreatable. The NDM-1 enzyme hydrolyses all available penicillin, cephalosporin and carbapenem antibiotics, and is commonly accompanied by additional resistance mechanisms to multiple antibiotic classes. Initially identified as a significant healthcare risk on the Indian sub-continent, it has rapidly become a global problem, posing significant diagnostic and management challenges. Here we report the first laboratory-confirmed case of NDM-1 in South Africa.
- Published
- 2011