First Evidence Of Bla(Ndm-1) And Bla(Oxa-23) Carbapenemase Genes In Human Body Lice Infesting A Second-Hand T-Shirt In A Street Market In Italy

Background. The spread of carbapenems resistance is a public health concern. The main group of carbapenemases encoding the beta-lactamases activity (bla genes) is the Metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs).Methods. The presence of carbapenemase bla(OXA-23-like), bla(OXA-40-like), bla(OXA-51-like), bla(OXA-58-like), and bla(NDM-1) genes was screened by real time PCR in 26 Pediculus humanus insects identified from second-hand clothes in a local market in Central Italy. Bacteria diversity was also characterized through shotgun metagenomic amplification for a deep sequencing of the host-associated bacterial microbiomes.Results. The bla(OXA-23) and bla(NDM-1) carbapenemases genes were found and metagenomic analysis showed a great presence of Acinetobacter species.Conclusions. These results suggest a new potential transmission path for carbapenemase gene spread through bacteria ingested by insects infesting humans.