According to a report published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, in the intensive care unit and the intensive care unit (ICU), there is an alarming trend in the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria containing integrons from the Enterobacteriaceae Family.

Integrons * located on bacterial plasmids or chromosomes lead to the development of multiple antibiotic resistance in microorganisms of the Enterobacteriaceae family. A significant number of bacteria appear in intensive care units which can transmit resistance genes, which makes the situation out of control.

In two intensive care units, a study was carried out on microorganisms of the Enterobacteriaceae family showing reduced sensitivity to cephalosporins (ERSC) for the presence of integrons, as well as the possibility of horizontal transfer of genes and cross resistance in resistant microorganisms.

It was found that out of 457 patients, 61 were colonized by the ERSC when they were admitted to the ICU and 56 patients were infected by the ERSC during their hospitalization in the ICU.

In 31 patients with ERSC, 54 microorganisms containing integrons were isolated. Three-quarters of the patients who were found to have ERSC were infected with ICU.

Based on the epidemiological grouping and the analysis of integrons, it was found that at least 19 cases of acquired colonization (73%) were the result of cross-transmission of strains.

There is direct evidence of a case of intraspecies transmission of integrons and indirect evidence of interspecies transmission in two patients.

According to the researchers, the wide spread of gram-negative bacteria containing integrons among community-acquired microorganisms and nosocomials creates serious problems for effective antibiotic therapy.

Based on the presence of different types of integrons, the epidemiological relationship of patients and genotyping, it becomes clear that the generalized integration of resistance associated with integrons is mainly due to cross-transmission of strains and, in a to a lesser extent, intra and interspecific transmission of integrons (plasmids or transposons). Therefore, adequate infection control is essential to control the spread of antibiotic resistant strains.

In conclusion, it should be noted that integrons are one of the most important mechanisms for the acquisition, conservation and spread of multiple antibiotic resistances, and that there is therefore an immediate need for additional epidemiological studies on resistance to antibiotics mediated by integrons.