Nosocomial transmission of a VIM-2 carbapenemase gene without concomitant plasmid transmission between two different Pseudomonas species

To our knowledge, we report the first documented in-hospital patient-to-patient-transmission of a VIM-2-transposon between two different pseudomonas species. A patient became colonized with a carbapenemase VIM-2-producing Pseudomonas alcaligenes after being hospitalized for eight days in a room previously occupied by a patient colonized with VIM-2 Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Molecular typing is commonly performed only within species to detect transmission. In this case, we had such a strong epidemiological link that we performed typing of the transposon.