Prevalence and antimicrobial mechanism of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella and its molecular properties

Background: The carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae poses a serious threat to public health because carbapenems are used as a final resort to treat K. pneumoniae -mediated infections in humans. Methods: Samples were collected from various clinical specimens including skin swabs, anal swabs, wound swabs, oral swabs, and sputum by the standard method and K. pneumoniae strains were isolated. Biofilm-forming characters were determined. The antibiotic resistance pattern was analyzed by the Kirby -Bauer disk diffusion method. Carbapenem resistance properties were tested using the imipenem and meropenem antibiotics. The carbapenemase genes (bla KPC and bla NDM ) were determined. Results: A total of 11 cephalosporin-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) strains were isolated from the samples. The screened CRKP strains exhibited multi -drug resistance and non -susceptible to imipenem, ceftazidime, piperacillin, ceftriaxone, cefazolin, ampicillin, aztreonam, and cefotetan antibiotics. A total of 79.4 % K. pneumoniae isolates showed positive results on String -forming test. About 82.1 % of isolates showed mucoid colonies and 59 % of K. pneumoniae strains formed biofilm (p < 0.01). Out of 11 isolates, four strains exhibited Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase type, three strains produced metallo- beta-lactamases (MBL), and four strains exhibited as carbapenemase types. A total of 63.5 % Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing strains showed very low MIC value ( <0.05 mg/L). Conclusions: Drug -resistance K. pneumoniae was isolated from clinical specimens that were screened. The continuous monitoring of drug -resistance genes are required to make policy decisions.