Low Prevalence of Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in Zabol, Southeast of Iran

Introduction: Klebsiella pneumoniae is a well-known pathogen which causes different kinds of infections including pneumoniae, urinary tract infection, and bloodstream infection. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the incidence of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) in Zabol, which is located in Sistan and Baluchestan province, southeast of Iran. Methods: A total of 70 clinical specimens of K. pneumoniae were collected from patients who referred to Amiralmomenin hospital affiliated with Zabol University of Medical Sciences during (December) 2017-2018. Then, resistance to nine different antibiotics was evaluated based on the purpose of the study. Finally, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was performed using specific primers for detecting blaAIM, blaVIM, blaNDM-1, and blaSPM genes. Results: The highest sensitivities of the isolates were related to ertapenem (n=68, 97.1%), meropenem (n=67, 95.7%), followed by gentamicin (n=65, 92.8%) and amikacin (n=65, 92.8%). In addition, 3 isolates were imipenem-resistant (4.3%), which were metallo-beta-lactamase positive as well. Eventually, based on the results of PCR, two isolates were found to be blaNDM positive. Conclusion: In general, the results of this study revealed that the prevalence of CRKP was low in the region under investigation. Therefore, continued monitoring of antibiotic resistance profile is required for hindering the emergence and spread of drug-resistant bacteria.