Phenotypic and molecular characterization of resistance profile and virulence factors among clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae

Abstract

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a major bacterial pathogen that causes a wide range of newlineinfections all over the world, commonly nosocomial infections, and is also responsible newlinefor community acquired infections. Urinary tract infections, pneumonia, septicemia, and newlinewound infections are examples of common infections. Nosocomial infections are often newlineassociated with increased morbidity, high mortality rates, prolonged hospitalization, and newlinefinancial burden. The antimicrobial resistance of K. pneumoniae is a global concern and newlineexpresses several virulence factors contributing to the pathogenesis. Infectious disease newlineand antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are serious challenges in treatment, particularly in newlinedeveloping countries, as in the case of India. India is known for its largest antibiotic use newlineglobally and is popularly known as the quotAMR capital of the world.quot The inappropriate newlineand unnecessary use of and#946; -lactam drugs, which leading to the selection of a variety of newlinemutated forms of and#946; -lactamases, is one of the primary causes of bacterial resistance. newlineESBLs, AmpC, and MBL have presently emerged as the most worrisome resistance newlinemechanisms, leading to an uncontrollable impact on antimicrobial chemotherapy. The newlinepresence of multiple types of and#946; -lactamases in a single organism can result in diagnostic newlineand treatment failure at critical times, especially in severe cases. With this background, newlinethe present study was aimed to evaluate the distribution of K. pneumoniae in various newlineclinical samples, the detection of virulence factors, and the co-existence of virulence newlinefactors and antimicrobial resistance. newlineK. pneumoniae isolates were collected from various clinical samples, and newlineantimicrobial susceptibility test was done by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method newlineaccording to CLSI guidelines. Virulence factors such as biofilm formation, newlineheamagglutination, heamolysins, hypermucoviscocity, siderophore, amylase, and newlinegelatinase production were determined by the phenotypic method.