Dissemination of Proteus mirabilis isolates harboring CTX-M-14 and CTX-M-3 β-lactamases at 2 hospitals in Taiwan

From February to June 2003, 111 clinical isolates of Proteus mirabilis were mainly isolated from patients with respiratory or urinary tract infections hospitalized at 3 district hospitals (A, B, C) in central Taiwan. Among them, 34 (30.6%) strains, isolated within 2 hospitals (A and B), exhibited nonsusceptibility to cefotaxime with significant reduction of MIC (≥3 log2 dilution) by the effect of clavulanic acid, which confirmed the phenotype of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs). These ESBL producers were coresistant to gentamicin, isepamicin, and amikacin, but remained susceptible to ceftazidime (MIC, ≤0.5 μg/mL) and meropenem (MIC, <0.5 μg/mL). By isoelectric focusing analysis, polymerase chain reaction, and nucleotide sequencing, we detected the presence of CTX-M-14 in 33 strains and CTX-M-3 in 6 strains (5 strains harboring both CTX-M-14 and CTX-M-3 enzymes). These β-lactamase genes can be successfully transferred by the conjugative plasmid. Molecular epidemiology of the 34 ESBL-producing P. mirabilis strains by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis using SfiI restriction enzyme revealed 9 different genotypes, suggesting epidemic clones with intra- and interhospital spread. In conclusion, the broadly extended clonal spreading of CTX-M–type P. mirabilis was first discovered at the district hospitals in Taiwan.