Molecular Investigation of Metallo-β-lactamase Encoding Gene in Nosocomial Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Iraqi Hospitals

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an increasingamount of evidence that nosocomial carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae posea major puplic health threat. This study aims to uncover the association ofmultidrug-resistance related genes with increasing the rate of acquiredhospital infections by Enterobacteriaceae pathogens. Enterobacteriaceae species(n=57) were detected in clinical specimens (n=45) obtained from patients withinfected wounds and burns in 3 Iraqi hospitals. Carbapenem-resistantEnterobacteriaceae bacteria were investigated by antibacterial susceptibility tests.  The Molecular investigation by PCR analysisshowed that Klebsiellapneumonia isolates(n=5) and Escherichia coli isolates (n=3) are carryingmetallo-β-lactamase encoding gene (blaIMP).It can be concluded that the expression of blaIMP is considered among the mainreasons of dominating resistance strains of Enterobacteriaceae pathogens andthus spreading nosocomial infection in Iraqi clinical centers. However, furthermolecular investigation is needed to overcome this resistance on molecularbases when treating.