TY - JOUR ID - TI - Prevalence of Carbapenemase Genes in Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates from Patients with Urinary Tract Infections in Baghdad Hospitals AU - Shahad Tariq Hamad , 1Kais Kassim Ghaim , 1Ali Abdulmueen Al-lawi PY - 2022 VL - 21 IS - 1 SP - 102 EP - 114 JO - Iraqi Journal of Biotechnology المجلة العراقية للتقانات الحياتية SN - 18154794 25207245 AB - Abstract: The increasing incidence of carbapenems-resistant K. pneumoniae has been considered a public health problem especially among patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs) . Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of carbapenemase genes in K. pneumoniae isolates from UTIs and their role in the antibiotics resistance rate of these isolates. Material and methods: Eighty K. pneumoniae isolates were obtained from 250 urine samples (November 2020 to march 2021) from Baghdad hospitals, Iraq. Antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed by disc diffusion method. The carbapenemase genes blaOXA48, blaVIM, blaIMP, blaKPC and blaNDM were investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: K. pneumoniae isolates were detected in 32% of the tested samples in the patients with UTIs, and the prevalence of the isolates were higher in females in comparison with males. The results showed high resistance rates to Amikacin and Rifambicin (97.5%), to Cefotaxime, Ceftazidime and Piperacillin (92.5%), followed by Ceftriaxone and Aztreonam (87.5%), Cefepime (85%), Imipenem (62.5%), Meropenem and Gentamicin (50%). The most prevalent genes were blaIMP (37.5%), blaOXA48 (30%), and blaVIM (28.75%), followed by blaKPC (20%), and blaNDM (11.25%). The most isolates which harbor the carbapenemase genes revealed a high resistance to cephalosporins and carbapenems. Conclusion: The rate of multi-drug and carbapenems resistance was high in the K. pneumoniae isolates from UTIs in Baghdad hospitals. Colistin could be the drug of choice for the treatments of carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae. Our study provides a better understanding of the carbapenemase genes distribution among the local isolates in UTIs.

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