High prevalence of OXA-1 β- lactamase genes among carbapenem resistance Klebsiella pneumoniae pathogens in Al-Hilla hospitals

This study examined the prevalence of blaOXA-1 in carbapenem resistant clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae. The period extended between April to August, 2011. A total of 801 samples were obtained from patients hospitalized / or attended different hospitals in Hilla city. Of these,117 isolates were specified as K. pneumoniae. High prevalence of K. pneumoniae isolates were observed in stool samples 38 (27%) followed by sputum 19 (15%). All 117 K. pneumoniae isolates were primarily investigated for β- lactams resistance, 91 (78%) were found to be screen positive. Beta-lactam resistance isolates were submitted to antimicrobial susceptibility testing towards 26 antibiotics by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. High levels of resistance were recorded for penicillin antibiotics (carbenicillin and ampicillin) with rates of resistance (99%) and (94.5%), respectively. Seventeenth (18.7%) isolates of K. pneumoniae were resistant to carbapenem antibiotics. These isolates were further selected for blaOXA-1 gene screening by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and confirmed in 13/17 (76.5%) of isolates.