Document Type : Original Articles
Authors
1
Department of Medical Biotechnology, College of Biotechnology, Al-Qasim Green University, Babylon, Iraq
2
Department of Biology, College of Education, AL-Qadisiyah University, Al-Diwaniya, Iraq.
10.32598/ARI.81.2.3640
Abstract
Introduction: Enterococcus spp., which produce extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESβLs), are resistant to nearly all β-lactam antibiotics. Due to the limited number of therapeutic options available, enterococcal infections are often difficult to treat, resulting in higher antibiotic and healthcare costs and posing a threat to patients’ lives. This research, therefore, aimed to determine the antibiotic resistance pattern of Enterococcus spp. and evaluate their potential to produce ESβLs both phenotypically and genotypically in Iraq. The epidemiological data available on β-lactam-resistant enterococci in Iraq are inadequate. This laboratory-based study was conducted from December 2020 to May 2021.
Materials & Methods: A total of 500 clinical specimens were obtained from patients with clinical cases and identified using standard microbiological procedures. The antibacterial resistance profiles of all Enterococcus spp. isolates were evaluated using the disk diffusion method. Enterococcal strains were examined for ESβL production utilizing the phenotypic method and PCR, respectively.
Results: All Enterococcus spp. isolates were completely resistant to ceftriaxone and cefotaxime. 85.45% of the isolates were resistant to gentamicin, 43.63% to chloramphenicol, 10.9% to ampicillin, and 7.2% to nitrofurantoin. The prevalence rates of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistance (XDR) isolates were 41.81% and 3.63%, respectively. Phenotypically, all 55 isolates were ESβLs-positive. Genotypically, the prevalence rates of the bla-TEM, bla-SHV, and bla-CTX-M2 genes were 27.27%, 23.63%, and 7.27%, respectively.
Conclusion: In conclusion, a wide prevalence of ESβL among Enterococcus spp. isolated from patients in Hospital Al-Women’s and Children’s Educational Hospital in Al-Qadisiyah Province, Iraq, was observed. A high rate of resistance to β-lactam, was also observed. This highlights the need for a rational policy to reduce the use of antibiotics.
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