GENES CONFERRING ANTIMICROBIAL-RESISTANCE AMONG KLEBSIELLA PNEUMONIAE IN THE ARABIAN GULF COUNTRIES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Objective: The objective of the study was to look on the prevalence of six AMR genes (CTX-M, TEM, SHV, NDM-1, OXA-48, and VIM genes) in the province of the Arabian Gulf. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the published studies from the Arabian Gulf countries and analyzed the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes pattern present in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Methods: The present study used the Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology as a guideline for reporting findings. An electronic search was conducted in online databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Web of Science from January 2014 to June 2020 following the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Articles published were included in the study resistance pattern among 2036 isolates were analyzed. These isolates conferred the AMR genes including OXA-48 (n=500), CTX-M (n= 1796), SHV (n=1637), TEM (n=1492), NDM-1 (n=500), and VIM (n=302). Results: Of 160 initially searched studies, 28 entries met the inclusion criteria and were subjected to meta-analysis. Critical appraisal of studies or quality assessment revealed a mean quality score was 4.2, with an SD of 1.6. The analysis revealed predominant AMR genes wereOXA-48 followed by CTX-M, SHV, TEM, NDM-1, and VIM in the Arabian Gulf region. Conclusion: The Arabian Gulf countries share a high prevalence of OXA-48, CTX-M followed by SHV, TEM, NDM-1, and VIM genes. Antimicrobial-resistant in K. pneumoniae is a threat to public health and this needs strong surveillance to curb this threat

Characterization of cephalosporin-resistant clinical Enterobacteriaceae for CTX-M ESBLs in Bahrain

AbstractObjectiveTo detect the presence of specific CTX-M class of extended spectyum β-lactamases (ESBLs) in a collection of cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates from Bahrain.MethodsA subset of 80 cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae collected from Salmaniya Medical Complex, Bahrain, were characterized further for the presence of specific genogroups of CTX-M β-lactamases by multiplex- and monoplex- PCRs. The primers used for the multiplex and monoplex PCRs were of genogroups- 1, 2, 8, 9 and 25. Sequencing of the representative isolates was performed to find the circulating CTX-M-types.ResultsA total of 93.8% (75/80) isolates showed the amplicons corresponding to any of the genogroups (1, 2, 8, 9, 25) and the remaining 6.2% isolates turned out negative in multiplex PCR. Some of the isolates demonstrated multiple bands corresponding to the sizes of different genogroups. Further confirmation with respective monoplex PCR on these 75 isolates demonstrated that 93.3% (70/75) harbored CTX-M genogroup-1 and 6.7% (5/75) harbored genogroup-9. We did not find the presence of genogroups 2, 8, and 25 in these isolates by monoplex PCR. Sequencing results of genogroup-1 isolates demonstrated the presence of CTX-M-15-like ESBL, however, discrepant results were noticed in genogroup-9 isolates, sequencing showed them as CTX-M-55-like ESBL.ConclusionsThis is the first report from Bahrain characterizing the CTX-M genogroups of ESBLs and reporting the emergence of blaCTX-M-55-like gene in this region

The Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistance and Serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae), also known as pneumococcus, is found in the upper respiratory tract of 5-70% of healthy people. It causes otitis media, pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD). The group with the highest risk for pneumococcal diseases are children, elderly people and people with chronic systemic illnesses. The identification of these serotypes is crucial to monitor the prevalent serotypes, to track resistance patterns, and to evaluate the efficacy of treatment and vaccination. Our aim was to determine antibiotic resistance in S. pneumoniae, identify the most common serotypes, determine the association between highly resistant strains and most common serotypes, and select an effective vaccine against the predominant serotypes in the Kingdom of Bahrain. One hundred isolates were included in the study. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by agar dilution and serotypes were determined by the Quellung reaction. Antimicrobial resistance rates were highest for penicillin in children ≤ 5 years old (34%) and elderly patients (29%). For the serotypes distribution of S. pneumoniae, the predominant serotypes were 19, 6, 23, 3 and 14 in the different age groups. The predominant serotypes that showed resistance to three antimicrobial agents were 19, 6, 23 and 14. The increasing pneumococcal resistance to penicillin, erythromycin, and tetracycline indicates the need for preventive measures, antibiotics use monitoring and stewarding. In light of the expanding prevalence of S. pneumoniae resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents, the need for an effective pneumococcal vaccine has become very important

Evaluation of Two Phenotypic Methods for the Detection of Plasmid-Mediated AmpC β-Lactamases among Enterobacteriaceae Isolates

Objectives AmpC β-lactamases are cephalosporinases that confer resistance to cephalothin, cefazolin, cefoxitin, penicillin, and β-lactamase inhibitor-β-lactam combinations. Even though the AmpC resistance is reported, but the accurate occurrence of AmpC β-lactamases in Enterobacteriaceae members is still unknown. Techniques to identify AmpC producers are still evolving but not yet optimized for the clinical laboratory. Here we aimed to compare the test performance of two different phenotypic methods, that is inhibitor-based assay using boronic acid and disk approximation test for AmpC detection in Enterobacteriaceae isolates from a tertiary hospital microbiology laboratory. Materials and Methods The study includes 137 nonrepeat Enterobacteriaceae strains. Bacterial isolates, that yielded a zone diameter of less than 18 mm for cefoxitin by disk diffusion method were considered potential AmpC producers and further confirmed by phenotype methods—inhibitor-based assay using boronic acid and disk approximation test. A multiplex polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the most common plasmid-mediated AmpC genes: ACC, FOX, MOX, DHA, CIT, and EBC. Results Of the 137 clinical isolates, 58 (42.33%) were cefoxitin resistant, while 53.4 and 18.9% of the cefoxitin-resistant isolates were positive by inhibitor-based assay and disk approximation test. Multiplex PCR detected 42 (30.6%) isolates with AmpC genes. Of the 42 isolates, the inhibitor-based assay detected 25 (59.5%) isolates, while the disk approximation test detected nine (21.4%) isolates. Conclusion Our findings suggest that inhibitor-based assay using boronic acid can be used for the detection of the isolates that harbor AmpC β-lactamases. This method is cost-effective, simple to perform, and easy to interpret. Thus AmpC detection as a routine in clinical laboratories can help in appropriate therapeutic intervention and improved infection control