Antimicrobial resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae stool isolates circulating in Kenya.

We sought to determine the genetic and phenotypic antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles of commensal Klebsiella spp. circulating in Kenya by testing human stool isolates of 87 K. pneumoniae and three K. oxytoca collected at eight locations. Over one-third of the isolates were resistant to ≥3 categories of antimicrobials and were considered multidrug-resistant (MDR). We then compared the resistance phenotype to the presence/absence of 238 AMR genes determined by a broad-spectrum microarray and PCR. Forty-six genes/gene families were identified conferring resistance to ß-lactams (ampC/blaDHA, blaCMY/LAT, blaLEN-1, blaOKP-A/OKP-B1, blaOXA-1-like family, blaOXY-1, blaSHV, blaTEM, blaCTX-M-1 and blaCTX-M-2 families), aminoglycosides (aac(3)-III, aac(6)-Ib, aad(A1/A2), aad(A4), aph(AI), aph3/str(A), aph6/str(B), and rmtB), macrolides (mac(A), mac(B), mph(A)/mph(K)), tetracyclines (tet(A), tet(B), tet(D), tet(G)), ansamycins (arr), phenicols (catA1/cat4, floR, cmlA, cmr), fluoroquinolones (qnrS), quaternary amines (qacEΔ1), streptothricin (sat2), sulfonamides (sul1, sul2, sul3), and diaminopyrimidines (dfrA1, dfrA5, dfrA7, dfrA8, dfrA12, dfrA13/21/22/23 family, dfrA14, dfrA15, dfrA16, dfrA17). This is the first profile of genes conferring resistance to multiple categories of antimicrobial agents in western and central Kenya. The large number and wide variety of resistance genes detected suggest the presence of significant selective pressure. The presence of five or more resistance determinants in almost two-thirds of the isolates points to the need for more effective, targeted public health policies and infection control/prevention measures.

Surveillance for enteric pathogens in a case-control study of acute diarrhea in Western Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Acute diarrhea remains a major public health problem in East African nations such as Kenya. Surveillance for a broad range of enteric pathogens is necessary to accurately predict the frequency of pathogens and potential changes in antibiotic resistance patterns. METHOD: Stool samples were collected from September 2009 to September 2011; 193 and 239 samples, from age-matched cases and asymptomatic controls, were collected, respectively, from Kericho and Kisumu District Hospitals in western Kenya. Bacterial pathogens were identified by conventional microbiological methods; antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial isolates was ascertained using the MicroScan WalkAway 40 Plus. An enzyme immunoassay kit was used to detect rotavirus, and ova and parasite examination was conducted by microscopy and an enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: Rotavirus (10.2% and 10.5%) and Shigella (11% and 8%) were isolated significantly more often in the cases than the controls from Kericho and Kisumu District Hospitals respectively. The diarrheagenic Escherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella were found most often in the cases while Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar were found more often in the controls. Most pathogens were isolated from children under 5 years old. More than 50% of the Shigella, Salmonella and diarrheagenic E. coli isolates were multidrug resistant to ampicillin, tetracycline and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole with several enteroaggregative and enterotoxigenic E. coli isolates producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases. CONCLUSION: Accurate epidemiologic information on acute diarrheal illness in Kenya will be critical for augmenting existing diarrhea management policies in terms of treatment and to strengthen future community awareness and health promotion programs.