Prevalence of Carbapenemase and blaKPC gene in Klebsiella pneumoniae Strains Isolated from Isfahan Hospitals, Iran

Aims Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen. The carbapenems are effective therapeutic choice for the treatment of Klebsiella pneumonia infections. Carbapenemases are a group of enzymes capable of hydrolyzing carbapenems. This study was to introduce phenotypic and genotypic methods to identify the carbapenemase-producing isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Materials & Methods this study was to introduce phenotypic and genotypic methods to identify the carbapenemase-producing isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae. The Modified Hodge Test (MHT) was performed to determine the susceptibility of isolates to antibiotics. The final products of PCR were electrophoresed on agarose gel. Findings The highest rate of resistance were observed for piperacillin (84%) and the lowest for ertapenem (50%). The majority of MHT positive isolates was from urine (64.7%), while abdominal and cerebrospinal fluids (0%) were the lowest. In addition, the ICU wards with 47(69.1%) and the emergency units with 4 (5.9%) samples, had the most and the least frequent cases, respectively. MHT was positive in 68 K. pneumoniae isolates, but none of them werepositive for blaKPC gene. Conclusion The blaKPC gene has low prevalence in the Isfahan City, Iran.

Keywords:

Klebsiella pneumonia , Carbapenemase , PCR , Prevalence