Molecular typing and integron detection of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates recovered from Baquba Teaching Hospital in Iraq

Abstract

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a gram-negative bacterium that causes severe illnesses and is antibiotic-resistant. This study aimed to determine the antibiotic resistance profile and prevalence of classII and III Iintegrons and ERIC -PCR among clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae. The study was conducted between September 2022 and January 2023. Fifty isolates were obtained from 230 specimens (wounds, burns, blood, fluid, ears,urine and sputum). Macroscopic, microscopic, and biochemical assays were used to identify all K.pneumoniae isolates, which were confirmed with the genetically by 16S rRNA. All isolates were examined for various types of clinically significant antibiotic drugs. The results of resistance to antibiotics indicated resistance to Amoxilline-clavulanc acid(98%), Meropenem (38%), Ceftazidime (96%), Amikacin (48%), Trimethopri-sulfamethoxazole (58.62%) and Levofloxacin (46%).The testing for antibiotic susceptibility of the K.pneumoniaeisolate showed that 24 (48%) of the isolates were multi-drug resistant (MDR). K.pneumoniae β-lactamase producers (ESBL) appeared33(66%). Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) amplification of 16 clinical K. pneumoniae isolates showed 14 (87.5 %) of Each of them revealed at least one amplification band. ERIC-PCR typing found two groups, A and B, with identical antimicrobial resistance patterns within the same group. While IntegronII showed that 1(6.25 %) of K. pneumoniae isolates was integrase gene positive. Class III integrons were seen in all isolates at a rate of 16 (100%).Continuous monitoring and characterization of integrons and their associated gene cassettes could be helpful in controlling the rate of antibiotic resistance by planning to take preventive measures to hinder the spread of resistant strains