Dissemination of clonal complex 2 Acinetobacter baumannii strains co-producing carbapenemases and 16S rRNA methylase ArmA in Vietnam

Acinetobacter baumannii strains co-producing carbapenemase and 16S rRNA methylase are highly resistant to clinically important carbapenems and aminoglycosides. Ninety-three isolates of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii were obtained from an intensive care unit in a hospital in Vietnam. The majority of isolates belonged to clonal complex 2 (ST2, ST570 and ST571), and carried carbapenemase encoding genes blaOXA-23 and blaOXA-66. Two isolates encoded carbapenemase genes blaNDM-1 and blaOXA-58 and 16S rRNA methylase encoding gene armA, and do not belong to clonal complex 2 (ST16). 16S rRNA methylase ArmA-producing A. baumannii isolates belonging to clonal complex 2 spread, and NDM-1-and ArmA-co-producing A. baumannii isolates are emerging in medical settings in Vietnam.