Detection and characterization of aparmycin-resistant Escherichia coli from humans in Korea.

To investigate apramycin resistance in humans in Korea, a total of 138 human Escherichia coli strains confirmed as gentamicin-resistant were collected from Korean Culture Collection Antimicrobial-Resistant Microbes. Apramycin resistance (minimum inhibitory concentrations ≥1,024 μg/ml) was observed in 16 (11.6%) of the 138 gentamicin-resistant E. coli (GREC) strains. Among the seven different kinds of aminoglycoside resistance genes tested, only four kinds were detected in the apramycin-resistant GREC strains: aac (3)-II, aac (3)-III, aac (3)-IV, and armA. The aac (3)-IV gene was found in all apramycin-resistant GREC strains, whereas aac(3)-II, aac(3)-III, and armA genes were detected in 8 (50.0%), 6 (37.5%), and 1 (6.3%) GREC strains resistant to apramycin, respectively. Of 16 apramycin-resistant GREC strains, transfer of apramycin resistance was observed in seven (43.8%), and co-transfer of resistance to other antimicrobials along with apramycin resistance was also found in four strains (25.0%) by broth mating. The results of this study suggest that more prudential use of apramycin in animals is needed.