Molecular Typing of Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates by Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus (ERIC)–PCR

Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative bacterium and as a part of the natural microflora in human body gastrointestinal tract. K. pneumoniae has been known as one of the most common causes of nosocomial infections and multi-drug resistance pathogens. The aim of this study was to examine antimicrobial susceptibility and genetic relatedness among K. pneumoniae strains isolated from hospitals in Borujerd city in western Iran using Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus (ERIC)–PCR technique.Materials and Methods: A total of 100 K. pneumonia isolates were collected from Borujerd hospitals during April to September 2015. After detection and confirmation of K. pneumonia isolates by conventional laboratory methods and differential tests, antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using disk diffusion method. Also, genetic relatedness of 35 selected MDR K. pneumonia isolates was examined by ERIC - PCR technique.Results: Antibiotic susceptibility testing showed that among K. pneumonia isolates, the highest antibiotic resistance was to ampicillin (91%), and the highest susceptibility was to imipenem (5 %). More than 45% of the isolates showed multi resistant phenotypes. Based on ERIC-PCR results and data analysis, 32 different ERIC types.Conclusion: The results of this study indicate the increase in multi resistant K. pneumoniae in hospitals under study. The results of ERIC PCR showed the high genetic diversity among K. pneumoniae strains, indicating the polyclonal distribution of K. pneumoniae isolates in Borujerd hospitals.

Keywords:

Klebsiella pneumoniae , Antibiotic resistance , ERIC – PCR