Isolation of seven distinct carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative organisms from a single patient

Carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPO) continue to spread around the globe at an alarming rate. People travelling to, and especially hospitalized in, areas that have high prevalence rates of MDR organisms (MDRO), such as ESBL- and carbapenemase producing Gram-negative organisms, are at risk of acquiring these bacteria and subsequent colonization or infection. In low-prevalence countries, such as New Zealand (NZ), this risk factor has recently been identified for the first cases of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing K. pneumoniae reported in NZ. Current reports of CPO in NZ are rare, with a low number of patients found to have cocarriage of more than two CPO and coproducing strains infrequently encountered. Here, we report the isolation of seven distinct CPO, together with an ESBL-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus mirabilis with an ACC-type AmpC b-lactamase, from a patient recently returned to NZ from a Romanian hospital.