First clinical case of a locally acquired carbapenem-resistant VIM-1 metallo-β-lactamase in Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Australia

To the Editor: Nosocomial infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa often prove difficult to treat because of their resistance to multiple drugs. Carbapenems play a pivotal role in the management of severe multidrug-resistant gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae and P. aeruginosa infections. However, reports in Australia of carbapenem resistance due to production of a variety of carbapenemases, including metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs), have been increasing alarmingly.1,2 We wish to report the first clinical case of a VIM-1-producing MBL in Sydney. To our knowledge, this is the first reported locally acquired case of a P. aeruginosa strain producing acquired VIM-1 MBL in Australia.