2016 Volume 33 Issue 2 Pages 61-68
Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) have spread epidemically in the United States and Europe among hospitalized patients. In Japan, CRE infection is a category V infectious disease under the Infectious Disease Control Law from September 19, 2014. CRE includes Klebsiella spp., Citrobacter spp., and Enterobacter spp., which are the coliforms highly detected from foods. In this study, we tried to detect β-lactamase (especially carbapenemase) producing gram negative rods among the swabs from food processing plants or the foods retailed in Osaka City from April, 2008 to January, 2013. We also investigated the antimicrobial susceptibility test in these isolates, and tried to search for drug resistant genes among these strains. Consequently, only one (Pseudomonas fluorescens) isolate among 114 strains was resistant to meropenem, but Pseudomonas fluorescens was not carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE). The prevalence of CPE among foods and its surrounding environment is low. Although 6 of 10 isolates which are resistant to cefoxitin are thought to be AmpC β-lactamase producing bacteria, these are intrinsic resistance by chromosomal AmpC β-lactamase. Two isolates of Rahnella aquatilis were possessed CTX-M type extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) gene which encodes chromosomal RAHN-2 gene.
