Background and objectives: Klebsiella pneumoniae causes challenging nosocomial fatal infections including neonatal sepsis. Our study aims at clarifying the contribution of integrons in the observed reduced susceptibility of multidrug-resistant (MDR) K. pneumoniae isolated from septicemic neonates to the clinically used antimicrobial agents and biocides.
Materials and methods: Eighty-six K. pneumoniae isolates were collected from Mansoura University Children's Hospital from septicemic neonates. Isolates were subjected to antibiotic and biocide susceptibility using disk diffusion and the agar dilution method, respectively. The distribution of different classes of integrons was screened in the isolates by PCR. Detected inegron I was sequenced in selected isolates.
Results: Fifty-seven isolates (66.27%) were MDR. In the MDR isolates, class I integron was detected in 23 (40.3%), integron III was detected in 20 (35%), whereas integron II could not be detected. Sequencing results of integron I from MDR K. pneumoniae isolates revealed that only aminoglycoside and folate synthesis inhibitors gene cassettes were detected, while the rest of the resistance genes were not associated with integron I.
Conclusion: The presence of integron I in MDR K. pneumoniae tested isolates may contribute only to some biocide resistance, however, it does not seem to be the only contributor in multiple drug resistance.
Keywords: Disinfectants; Drug resistance; Integrons; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Newborn.
Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.