Related Articles

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains belonging to international clonal lineage II (ICL-II) have become predominant in intensive care units (ICUs) throughout Italy. Between 2005 and 2009, the carbapenem-hydrolyzing class D β-lactamase (CHDL) blaOXA-23 gene became more prevalent than blaOXA-58 among epidemic ICL-II strains showing extensive genetic similarity. These findings posed the question of whether CHDL gene replacement occurred in the homogeneous ICL-II population or a new OXA-23 clone(s) emerged and spread in ICUs. In this study, the changes in the ICL-II A. baumannii population and CHDL gene carriage were investigated in 30 genetically related isolates collected during the blaOXA-58-to-blaOXA-23 transition period. Pulsotyping, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) results were combined with multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA-8), siderotyping, and plasmid profiling to improve genotype-based discrimination between isolates. Pulsotyping, RAPD analysis, and MLST clustered isolates into a single type. MLVA-8 identified 19 types that clustered into three complexes. All OXA-23-producing isolates formed a single complex, while OXA-58 producers were split into two complexes. Southern blot analysis of the physical localization and genetic context of the CHDL genes showed that blaOXA-58 was invariably located on plasmids, while blaOXA-23 was present within Tn2006 on the chromosome or both the chromosome and plasmids. These data indicate that the apparently homogeneous population of CHDL-producing ICL-II strains was composed of several independent strains and that, between 2005 and 2009, distinct OXA-23 producers displaced the preexisting OXA-58 producers. Thus, MLVA-8 appears to be a suitable tool not only for investigating A. baumannii population structure but also for high-resolution epidemiological typing.

In the last few years, phenotypically carbapenem resistant Acinetobacter strains have been identified throughout the world, including in many of the hospitals and intensive care units (ICUs) of Australia. Genotyping of Australian ICU outbreak-associated isolates by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of whole genomic DNA indicated that different strains were cocirculating within one hospital. The carbapenem-resistant phenotype of these and other Australian isolates was found to be due to carbapenem-hydrolyzing activity associated with the presence of the blaOXA-23 gene. In all resistant strains examined, the blaOXA-23 gene was adjacent to the insertion sequence ISAba1 in a structure that has been found in Acinetobacter baumannii strains of a similar phenotype from around the world; blaOXA-51-like genes were also found in all A. baumannii strains but were not consistently associated with ISAba1, which is believed to provide the promoter required for expression of linked antibiotic resistance genes. Most isolates were also found to contain additional antibiotic resistance genes within the cassette arrays of class 1 integrons. The same cassette arrays, in addition to the ISAba1-blaOXA-23 structure, were found within unrelated strains, but no common plasmid carrying these accessory genetic elements could be identified. It therefore appears that antibiotic resistance genes are readily exchanged between cocirculating strains in epidemics of phenotypically indistinguishable organisms. Epidemiological investigation of major outbreaks should include whole-genome typing as well as analysis of potentially transmissible resistance genes and their vehicles.

We investigated the basis of the carbapenem resistance of 17 multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates collected from 2004 to 2005 at the Saint George University Hospital in Beirut, Lebanon. A. baumannii isolates were clonally related and were susceptible to colistin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, susceptible or intermediate to ampicillin-sulbactam and meropenem, and resistant to all other antimicrobials. Conjugation experiments demonstrated that resistance to imipenem could be transferred along with a plasmid containing the carbapenem-hydrolyzing oxacillinase blaOXA-58 gene. The plasmid that we called pABIR was 29,823 bp in size and showed a novel mosaic structure composed of two origins of replication, four insertion sequence (IS) elements, and 28 open reading frames. The blaOXA-58 gene was flanked by IS18 and ISAba3 elements at the 5′ and 3′ ends, respectively. The production of the carbapenem-hydrolyzing oxacillinase OXA-58 was apparently the only mechanism for carbapenem resistance in A. baumannii isolates causing the outbreak at the Lebanese Hospital.

Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii is a worldwide nosocomial menace. We sought to better understand its behavior through studying the molecular epidemiology of this organism at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, over a 10-year period. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST), semiautomated repetitive sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR), and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were performed on a selection of 31 A. baumannii isolates collected over the 10-year period to determine their relationships to one another. MLST also allowed us to put this information in a global context. The presence or absence of blaOXA-23 was also established. The presence of blaOXA-23 closely correlated with carbapenem resistance in our collection. Sequence type 92 (ST92) was the dominant sequence type and was present in the hospital for 9 years. There was also evidence of the spread of ST69, ST73, and ST125 (novel) within the hospital, but this was not sustained over long periods. There were only single examples of the novel sequence types ST126 and ST127. The different typing methods clustered the isolates similarly; however, PFGE and rep-PCR were more discriminatory than MLST. Worldwide, ST92 and the associated clonal complex 92 represent the most sampled and widespread sequence type(s) and are also known as European clone 2 and worldwide clonal lineage 2. Antibiotic susceptibility within ST92 is variable, suggesting a role for mechanisms other than antibiotic resistance in its success.

This study reports the dissemination of multidrug-resistant (MDR) OXA-23-producing Acinetobacter baumannii clones in hospitals in Antananarivo, Madagascar. A total of 53 carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii isolates were obtained from September 2006 to March 2009 in five hospitals. These resistant strains represent 44% of all A. baumannii isolates. The double disk synergy test was performed to screen for production of metallo-beta-lactamases. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing were performed for the detection of bla(AmpC), bla(OXA-51),bla(OXA-23), bla(OXA-24), bla(IMP), bla(VIM). The presence of the insertion sequence ISAba1 relative to blaOXA-23 and blaOXA-51 was assessed by PCR. Isolates were typed by Rep-PCR. All the isolates were MDR and produced the OXA-23 carbapenemase, which was confirmed by sequencing. PCR analysis for AmpC and OXA-51 gave positive results for all strains studied. No isolates produced metallo-beta-lactamases. In all isolates ISAba1 laid upstream of blaOXA-23. The A. baumannii isolates were separated into two genotypes; genotype A had a higher prevalence (41 strains) than genotype B (12 strains). Genotype A was present in four hospitals, whilst genotype B had spread in two hospitals. The high frequency of MDR OXA-23-producing A. baumannii in various hospitals in Antananarivo is curious since carbapenems are not available in Madagascar, but it emphasises the need for infection control procedures and strict adherence to them to prevent the spread of these resistant organisms in Antananarivo and also the need to control the use of carbapenems in the future.

A carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strain was isolated in Brazil in 2004 in which no known carbapenemase gene was detected by PCR. Cloning experiments, followed by expression in Escherichia coli, gave an E. coli recombinant strain expressing a novel carbapenem-hydrolyzing class D β-lactamase (CHDL). OXA-143 showed 88% amino acid sequence identity with OXA-40, 63% identity with OXA-23, and 52% identity with OXA-58. It hydrolyzed penicillins, oxacillin, meropenem, and imipenem but not expanded-spectrum cephalosporins. The blaOXA-143 gene was located on a ca. 30-kb plasmid. After transformation into reference strain A. baumannii ATCC 19606, it conferred resistance to carbapenems. Analysis of the genetic environment of blaOXA-143 revealed that it was associated with neither insertion sequences nor integron structures. However, it was bracketed by similar replicase-encoding genes at both ends, suggesting acquisition through a homologous recombination process. This study identified a novel class D β-lactamase involved in carbapenem resistance in A. baumannii. This enzyme is the first member of a novel subgroup of CHDLs whose prevalence remains to be determined.

A carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strain was isolated in Toulouse, France, in 2003. Cloning and expression in Escherichia coli identified the carbapenem-hydrolyzing β-lactamase OXA-58, which is weakly related (less than 50% amino acid identity) to other oxacillinases. It hydrolyzed penicillins, oxacillin, and imipenem but not expanded-spectrum cephalosporins. The blaOXA-58 gene was located on a ca. 30-kb non-self-transferable plasmid. After electrotransformation in the A. baumannii CIP7010T reference strain, it conferred reduced susceptibility to carbapenems. The blaOXA-58 gene was bracketed by two novel ISAba3-like insertion elements. This study describes a newly characterized β-lactamase that may contribute to carbapenem resistance in A. baumannii.

Genetic structures surrounding the carbapenem-hydrolyzing oxacillinase gene blaOXA-58 were characterized in a series of OXA-58-positive Acinetobacter baumannii strains isolated from different countries. We showed that in most of the cases, acquisitions of the blaOXA-58-containing overall structure, including insertion sequence elements, may be likely the results of recombination events. In type strain A. baumannii MAD, the genetic structure surrounding the blaOXA-58 gene was bracketed by two 27-bp repeated sequences. The isolation of a clonally related OXA-58-negative A. baumannii isolate that possessed the same plasmid backbone as A. baumannii MAD but lacked this genetic structure indicated that the mechanism of acquisition could be reversible. Parts of the structure identified in A. baumannii MAD were conserved in other blaOXA-58-positive isolates from various European countries. Primer extension experiments showed that blaOXA-58 expression was related to promoter sequences brought by different insertion sequence elements, such as an ISAba3-like element, ISAba1, ISAba2, and IS18. This work identified novel structures at the origin of acquisition and expression of a carbapenem-hydrolyzing β-lactamase identified in non-clonally related A. baumannii isolates.

Incidence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii is rising in several parts of the world. In Africa, data concerning this species and its resistance to carbapenems are limited. The objective of the present study was to identify the presence of A. baumannii carbapenem-resistant encoding genes in natural reservoirs in Senegal, where antibiotic pressure is believed to be low. From October 2010 to January 2011, 354 human head lice, 717 human fecal samples and 118 animal fecal samples were screened for the presence of A. baumannii by real time PCR targeting blaOXA51-like gene. For all samples positive for A. baumannii, the carbapenemase-hydrolysing oxacillinases blaOXA23-like and blaOXA24-like were searched for and sequenced, and the isolates harbouring an oxacillinase were genotyped using PCR amplification and sequencing of recA gene. The presence of A. baumannii was detected in 4.0% of the head lice, in 5.4% of the human stool samples and in 5.1% of the animal stool samples tested. No blaOXA24 gene was detected but six fecal samples and three lice were positive for blaOXA23-like gene. The blaOXA23-like gene isolated in lice was likely a new oxacillinase sequence. Finally, the A. baumannii detected in stools were all of recA genotype 3 and those detected in lice, of recA genotype 4. This study shows for the first time a reservoir of blaOXA23-like-positive gene in human head lice and stool samples in Senegal.

Carbapenem resistance results mostly from the expression of acquired carbapenem-hydrolyzing oxacillinases in Acinetobacter baumannii. The blaOXA-23 oxacillinase gene is increasingly reported worldwide and may represent an emerging threat. Our goal was to identify the progenitor of that carbapenemase gene. A collection of 50 Acinetobacter sp. strains corresponding to several Acinetobacter species was screened for blaOXA-23-like genes by PCR and hybridization techniques. Five Acinetobacter radioresistens isolates that were susceptible to carbapenems harbored chromosomally encoded blaOXA-23-like genes. A similar plasmid backbone was identified in several blaOXA-23-positive A. baumannii and A. radioresistens isolates, further strengthening the vectors of exchanges for these blaOXA-23-like genes. Therefore, A. radioresistens, a commensal bacterial species which is identified on the skin of hospitalized and healthy patients (a property shared with A. baumannii), was identified as the source of the blaOXA-23 gene.

The basis of the β-lactam resistance of 39 multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates recovered from hospitalized patients was studied. These isolates were collected from 2001 to 2005 at the Sahloul Hospital in Sousse, Tunisia. They belonged to two distinct clones. One clone that grouped 19 isolates produced a carbapenem-hydrolyzing oxacillinase, OXA-97, that differed from OXA-58 by a single amino acid substitution and conferred the same β-lactam resistance profile as OXA-58. The blaOXA-97 gene was located on plasmids that varied in size in 18 isolates and was chromosomally located in a single isolate. Cloning and sequencing identified genetic structures surrounding the blaOXA-97 gene similar to those reported to be adjacent to the blaOXA-58 gene. In addition, the novel ISAba8 element (which is of the IS21 family) was identified. This is the first report of the nosocomial spread of carbapenemase producers in A. baumannii isolates in Africa.

During 2005 we detected a multicity outbreak of infections or colonization due to high-level imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MIC, 64 μg/ml). One hundred isolates from diverse sources were obtained from seven acute-care hospitals and two extended-care facilities; 97% of the isolates belonged to one clone. Susceptibility testing of the first 42 isolates (January to April 2005) revealed broad resistance profiles. Half of the isolates were susceptible to ceftazidime, with many isolates susceptible only to colistin. The level of AmpC β-lactamase expression was stronger in isolates resistant to ceftazidime. PCR and subsequent nucleotide sequencing analysis identified blaOXA-40. The presence of an OXA-40 β-lactamase in these isolates correlated with the carbapenem resistance. By Southern blot analysis, a blaOXA-40-specific probe revealed that the gene was both plasmid and chromosomally located. This is the first time in the United States that such carbapenem resistance in A. baumannii has been attributable to a carbapenemase.

A clinical strain of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus resistant to carbapenems was isolated from a blood culture sample from an inpatient in a hospital in Madrid (Spain) during a large outbreak of infection (affecting more than 300 inpatients), caused by a multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii clone. The carbapenem resistance in both the A. calcoaceticus and A. baumannii clones was due to a blaOXA-24 gene harbored in different plasmids. The plasmids were fully sequenced, revealing the presence of site-specific recombination binding sites putatively involved in mobilization of the blaOXA-24 gene. Comparison of plasmids contained in the two strains revealed possible horizontal transmission of resistance genes between the Acinetobacter species.

We investigated an outbreak of Acinetobacter baumannii in an intensive care unit and in the surgery, medicine, neurology, and urology wards of the Kosin University Gospel Hospital in Busan, Korea. The outbreak involved 36 cases of infection by A. baumannii producing the OXA-23 β-lactamase over an 8-month period and was caused by a single pulsed-field gel electrophoresis clone. The epidemic isolates were characterized by a modified cloverleaf synergy test. Isoelectric focusing of crude bacterial extracts detected one nitrocefin-positive band with a pI value of 6.65. PCR amplification and characterization of the amplicons by direct sequencing indicated that the epidemic isolates carried a blaOXA-23 determinant. The epidemic isolates were characterized by a multidrug resistance phenotype that remained unchanged over the outbreak, including penicillins, cephamycins, extended-spectrum cephalosporins, carbapenems, monobactams, and aminoglycosides. This study shows that the blaOXA-23 resistance determinant may become an emerging therapeutic problem.

The blaOXA-51-like gene with an upstream ISAba1 (ISAba1-blaOXA-51-like gene) was originally found on the chromosomes of carbapenem-resistant or -susceptible Acinetobacter baumannii isolates. However, a plasmid-borne ISAba1-blaOXA-51-like gene has recently been identified in Acinetobacter genomic species 13TU and several A. baumannii isolates in Taiwan, and all of the isolates are carbapenem resistant. This study aimed to characterize the plasmids bearing the ISAba1-blaOXA-51-like gene and their significance in A. baumannii. Among the 117 ISAba1-blaOXA-51-like-harboring isolates collected from 10 hospitals in Taiwan, 58 isolates (49.6%) from 24 clones had the genes located on plasmids that likely originated from a common progenitor. Among the 58 isolates, four had additional copy of the ISAba1-blaOXA-51-like gene on their chromosomes. Based on the analysis of these four isolates, the plasmid-located ISAba1-blaOXA-51-like gene appeared to be acquired via one-ended transposition (Tn6080). The isolates with a plasmid bearing the ISAba1-blaOXA-51-like gene had higher rates of resistance to imipenem (98% versus 46.6%; P < 0.001) and meropenem (98% versus 69%; P = 0.019) than those with the genes chromosomally encoded, which is most likely due to increased gene dosage provided by the higher copy number of associated plasmids. Transformation with a recombinant plasmid harboring only the ISAba1-blaOXA-51-like gene was enough to confer a high level of carbapenem resistance to A. baumannii, eliminating the possible contribution of other factors on the original plasmids. This study demonstrated that the carbapenem resistance-associated plasmids carrying the ISAba1-blaOXA-51-like gene are widespread in A. baumannii strains in Taiwan.

This study investigated the correlation between blaOXA-51 variants and Acinetobacter baumannii worldwide clonal lineages 1 to 8 (WW1 to -8). The blaOXA-51-like genes of 102 A. baumannii isolates were sequenced. Using DiversiLab repetitive-sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) typing, 92 of these isolates had previously been assigned to WW1 to -8 and 10 were unclustered. Clustering of DNA sequences was performed using the neighbor-joining method and the Jukes-Cantor phylogenetic correction. blaOXA-51 variants were in good correlation with DiversiLab-defined clonal lineages. Sequence-based typing of blaOXA-51 variants has the potential to be applied for epidemiologic characterization of A. baumannii and to identify worldwide clonal lineages 1 to 8.

The Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex (ABC) is associated with increasing carbapenem resistance, necessitating accurate resistance testing to maximize therapeutic options. We determined the accuracy of carbapenem antimicrobial susceptibility tests for ABC isolates and surveyed them for genetic determinants of carbapenem resistance. A total of 107 single-patient ABC isolates from blood and wound infections from 2006 to 2008 were evaluated. MICs of imipenem, meropenem, and doripenem determined by broth microdilution (BMD) were compared to results obtained by disk diffusion, Etest, and automated methods (the MicroScan, Phoenix, and Vitek 2 systems). Discordant results were categorized as very major errors (VME), major errors (ME), and minor errors (mE). DNA sequences encoding OXA beta-lactamase enzymes (blaOXA-23-like, blaOXA-24-like, blaOXA-58-like, and blaOXA-51-like) and metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) (IMP, VIM, and SIM1) were identified by PCR, as was the KPC2 carbapenemase gene. Imipenem was more active than meropenem and doripenem. The percentage of susceptibility was 37.4% for imipenem, 35.5% for meropenem, and 3.7% for doripenem. Manual methods were more accurate than automated methods. blaOXA-23-like and blaOXA-24-like were the primary resistance genes found. blaOXA-58-like, MBLs, and KPC2 were not present. Both automated testing and manual testing for susceptibility to doripenem were very inaccurate, with VME rates ranging between 2.8 and 30.8%. International variability in carbapenem breakpoints and the absence of CLSI breakpoints for doripenem present a challenge in susceptibility testing.

The oxacillinase gene was reported to confer limited resistance to carbapenem in Acinetobacter baumannii. In this study, we have demonstrated that an A. baumannii clinical isolate harboring a plasmid, pTVICU53, has 11,037 bp encoding 13 open reading frames. A blaOXA-58 gene with an upstream insertion of truncated ISAba3 (ΔISAba3) and IS1008 was found in this plasmid. ΔISAba3and IS1008 provided two independent promoters for the transcription control of the blaOXA-58 gene. The transformation of pTVICU53 or a shuttle vector bearing IS1008-ΔISAba3-blaOXA-58 to different A. baumannii recipients can increase their MICs of carbapenem 64- to 256-fold. The deletion of promoters provided by IS1008 resulted in dramatic decreases in blaOXA-58 transcription and a 32- to 64-fold reduction in the carbapenem MIC. These findings highlight that A. baumannii might develop carbapenem resistance with a single transformation step, taking up a plasmid containing a genetic construct with a potentially high level of transcription of the blaOXA-58 gene.

SUMMARY

Global dissemination of imipenem-resistant (IR) clones of Acinetobacter baumannii –A. calcoaceticus complex (ABC) have been frequently reported but the molecular epidemiological features of IR-ABC in military treatment facilities (MTFs) have not been described. We characterized 46 IR-ABC strains from a dataset of 298 ABC isolates collected from US service members hospitalized in different US MTFs domestically and overseas during 2003–2008. All IR strains carried the blaOXA-51 gene and 40 also carried blaOXA-23 on plasmids and/or chromosome; one carried blaOXA-58 and four contained ISAbal located upstream of blaOXA-51. Strains tended to cluster by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles in time and location. Strains from two major clusters were identified as international clone I by multilocus sequence typing.

The mechanisms at the origin of heterogeneous carbapenem resistance levels observed among Acinetobacter baumannii isolates collected in 2005 in a large University Hospital of Rome, Italy, were investigated. These isolates were related and possessed similar plasmids carrying the carbapenem-hydrolyzing oxacillinase gene blaOXA-58 but showed variable levels of resistance to carbapenems. Analysis of sequences surrounding the blaOXA-58 gene showed genetic variability, with the presence in several isolates of multiple copies of the blaOXA-58 gene; this extra copy number was likely related to an IS26-mediated transposition or recombination process.

Two clonally related Acinetobacter baumannii isolates, A1 and A2, were obtained from the same patient. Isolate A2, selected after an imipenem-containing treatment, showed reduced susceptibility to carbapenems. This resistance pattern was related to insertion of the ISAba1 element upstream of the naturally occurring blaOXA-66 carbapenemase gene as demonstrated by sequencing, reverse transcription-PCR analysis, and inactivation of the blaOXA-66 gene.

Carbapenem-resistant isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii from intensive care units at Split University Hospital, Split, Croatia, were studied. Most (100 of 106) had ISAba1 inserted upstream of a blaOXA-107 gene, encoding an unusual OXA-51-type oxacillinase. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed that the isolates formed three clusters belonging to the sequence group 2 (European clone 1) lineage.

Two epidemiologically unrelated carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates were investigated as representatives of the first Italian isolates producing the OXA-24 carbapenemase. Both isolates were of European clonal lineage II and carried an identical OXA-24-encoding plasmid, named pABVA01. Comparative analysis revealed that in pABVA01, blaOXA-24 was part of a DNA module flanked by conserved inverted repeats homologous to XerC/XerD binding sites, which in other Acinetobacter plasmids flank different DNA modules, suggesting mobilization by a novel site-specific recombination mechanism.

The molecular epidemiology of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii was investigated in the medical-surgical intensive care unit (ICU) of a university hospital in Italy during two window periods in which two sequential A. baumannii epidemics occurred. Genotype analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of A. baumannii isolates from 131 patients identified nine distinct PFGE patterns. Of these, PFGE clones B and I predominated and occurred sequentially during the two epidemics. A. baumannii epidemic clones showed a multidrug-resistant antibiotype, being clone B resistant to all antimicrobials tested except the carbapenems and clone I resistant to all antimicrobials except ampicillin-sulbactam and gentamicin. Type 1 integrons of 2.5 and 2.2 kb were amplified from the chromosomal DNA of epidemic PFGE clones B and I, respectively, but not from the chromosomal DNA of the nonepidemic clones. Nucleotide analysis of clone B integron identified four gene cassettes: aacC1, which confers resistance to gentamicin; two open reading frames (ORFs) coding for unknown products; and aadA1a, which confers resistance to spectinomycin and streptomycin. The integron of clone I contained three gene cassettes: aacA4, which confers resistance to amikacin, netilmicin, and tobramycin; an unknown ORF; and blaOXA-20, which codes for a class D β-lactamase that confers resistance to amoxicillin, ticarcillin, oxacillin, and cloxacillin. Also, the blaIMP allele was amplified from chromosomal DNA of A. baumannii strains of PFGE type I. Class 1 integrons carrying antimicrobial resistance genes and blaIMP allele in A. baumannii epidemic strains correlated with the high use rates of broad-spectrum cephalosporins, carbapenems, and aminoglycosides in the ICU during the study period.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter spp. have emerged as a threat to public health. We investigated the various genes involved in resistance to fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, cephalosporins, and carbapenems in 75 clinical Acinetobacter isolates from a Taiwanese hospital. All isolates were tested for the gyrA mutations, the presence of integrons, blaAmpC, and carbapenem resistance genes. The Ser83Leu mutation in GyrA accounted for fluoroquinolone resistance. The presence of integrons containing aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes was associated with resistance to gentamicin and tobramycin but not with resistance to amikacin. The presence of an ISAba1 element upstream of blaAmpC was correlated with cephalosporin resistance. Although most Acinetobacter baumannii isolates with ISAba1-blaOXA-51-like were resistant to carbapenems, several isolates remained susceptible to carbapenems. Transformation by the introduction of ISAba1-blaOXA-23 or ISAba1-blaOXA-66 into A. baumannii ATCC 15151 (CIP 70.10), resulting in the overexpression of OXA-23 or OXA-66, respectively, suggested the role of the ISAba1 element as a strong promoter. The two transformants showed significantly increased resistance to piperacillin-tazobactam, imipenem, and meropenem. The cefepime resistance conferred by ISAba1-blaOXA-23 and the impact of ISAba1-blaOXA-66 on carbapenem resistance in A. baumannii are reported here for the first time. Continuous surveillance of antibiotic resistance genes in MDR Acinetobacter spp. and elucidation of their antibiotic resistance mechanisms are crucial for the development of therapy regimens and for the prevention of further dissemination of these antibiotic resistance genes.