High incidence of carbapenemase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates from Lagos, Nigeria

Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains are on the rise worldwide. This study characterized clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa from three Nigerian hospitals for carbapenem resistance.

The study revealed a high rate of carbapenem resistance and conjugative, broad host range plasmids carrying carbapenemase-encoding genes, especially the NDM-1 type, among isolates of P. aeruginosa. This may forebode the emergency of ubiquitous carbapenem resistance urging the implementation of infection control and antimicrobial stewardship strategies in Nigerian hospitals.