Bacteriological and Molecular Detection of Klebsiella oxytoca and its Resistance to Antibiotics among Clinical Specimens from Kirkuk, Iraq

Klebsiella spp. are gram-negative bacteria that are considered serious public health problems causing urinary tract infections, bloodstream infections, pneumonia infections, and soft tissue infections. This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of Klebsiella oxytoca (K. oxytoca) among clinical samples and determine their resistance against various antimicrobial medicines with molecular identification of K. oxytoca by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique using a specific sequence of pehX gene. A total of ۲۵۰ clinical samples including throat, wound, and vaginal swabs were obtained. Participants were of both genders and different ages. The samples were streaked on the blood and MacConkey agars. Antibiotic sensitivity test was made by modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. Molecular identification of K. oxytoca was performed for all isolates. Out of ۲۵۰ clinical samples, K. oxytoca was reported in ۳۲ (۱۲.۸%) cases. The highest prevalence was observed in ۱۸(۱۸%) cases of throat swabs, ۱۶ (۱۶%) cases of wound swabs, and ۶ (۶%) cases of vagina swabs. By the way, female cases were more affected ۲۲ (۱۴.۵%) with K. oxytoca than male cases ۱۰ (۱۰.۱۰%).  Infected participants aged ۱۵-۴۰ years were more affected with K. oxytoca (۲۳, ۱۲.۷۳%) compared to patients aged ۴۱-۶۵ years (۹, ۹.۶۷%). The highest resistance pattern of K. oxytoca was ۱۰۰% against Augmentin, Ampicillin, Cephalothin, Piperacillin, and Rifampin on one hand, and ۶۲.۵۰%, ۵۹.۳۷%, ۵۳.۱۲%, ۵۳.۱۲%, and ۵۰% against Ceftazidime, Cefixime, Cefotaxime, Trimethoprim, and Aztreonam on the other hand, respectively. The highest sensitivity was observed against Amikacin and Imipenem (۹.۳۷%) and it was ۲۱.۸۷%, ۲۱.۸۷%, ۲۵%, ۲۵%, ۲۸.۱۲%, ۲۸.۱۲%, and ۲۸.۱۲% against Meropenem, Chloramphenicol, Nalidixic acid, Ciprofloxacin, Tobramycin, Gentamicin, and Doxycycline, respectively. Through molecular identification of K. oxytoca, all isolates showed a PCR product with ۳۴۴-bp specific primer (pehX) that performed the K. oxytoca.

Keywords:

Antibiotic resistance , clinical samples , Klebsiella oxytoca (K. oxytoca) , PCR , pehX gene