Integron Class 1 Reservoir among Highly Resistant Gram-Negative Microorganisms Recovered at a Dutch Teaching Hospital

Integrons play an important role in the dissemination of resistance genes among bacteria. Nearly 70% of highly resistant gram-negative bacteria isolated at a tertiary care hospital harbored an integron. Epidemiologic analysis suggests that horizontal gene transfer is an important mechanism of resistance spread and has a greater contribution than cross-transmission to levels of resistance in settings where highly resistant gram-negative bacteria are endemic.