RESUMO
AIM: We studied 68 ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains isolated in Lebanon, determined their profile of resistance to antibiotics, and identified 6 ESBL genes. METHODOLOGY: The susceptibility to antibiotics was determined by the disk diffusion method. The MIC of carbapenems and cefepime was determined by the agar dilution method. ESBL genes were detected by PCR. RESULTS: A percentage of 88.2% and 86.7% of isolates carried the SHV and CTX-M gene respectively; combinations of more than 1 gene of resistance were detected in several isolates. Five strains were resistant to carbapenems; 4/5 carried the OXA-48 gene. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed the emergence of K. pneumoniae ESBL (+) strains carrying several types of genes involved in this phenotype; we also identified carbapenem-resistant strains due to the OXA-48 gene, which are a real threat for public health, especially in Lebanon.
