Phenotypic Detection of Plasmid-Mediated Colistin Resistance in Enterobacteriaceae.

The aim of this work was to evaluate an easy-to-perform assay based upon inhibition of mobile colistin resistance (MCR) activity by EDTA. We included 92 nonrelated isolates of Enterobacteriaceae (74 Escherichia coli, 17 Klebsiella pneumoniae, and 1 Serratia marcescens). Our proposed method is based on a modification of the colistin agar-spot screening test (CAST), a plate containing 3 µg/ml colistin, by adding an extra plate of colistin agar-spot supplemented with EDTA (eCAST). Bacterial growth was evaluated after 24 h of incubation at 35°C. All the colistin-resistant isolates showed development on the CAST plates. Colistin-resistant K. pneumoniae without mcr-1 and S. marcescens also grew on the eCAST plates. In contrast, colistin-resistant MCR-producing E. coli was not able to grow in eCAST plates. The combined CAST/eCAST test could provide a simple and easy-to-perform method to differentiate MCR-producing Enterobacteriaceae from those in which colistin resistance is mediated by chromosomal mechanisms.