Occurrence of the Carbapenem-Hydrolyzing β-Lactamase Gene bla OXA-48 in the Environment in Morocco

The bla OXA-48 gene is plasmid borne and encodes a carbapenem-hydrolyzing class D β-lactamase that was first identified in a Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolate in Turkey in 2004 ([11][1]). The high prevalence of OXA-48 producers in Turkey is well established ([3][2]), but there are also