Detection of Extended-Spectrum β Lactamases and AmpC β-Lactamase Production in Escherichia coli Causing Urinary Tract Infection among HIV and Non-HIV Patients

Problem statement: Opportunistic infections have been documented as a leading cause of morbidity among HIV patients. Gram negative pathogens that elaborate beta-lactamases have been reported to be associated with increased morbidity and mortality, especially amongst immunocompromised patients on intensive care and high-dependency units. The most common mechanism of β-lactam drug resistance in Escherichia coli include ESBL, AmpC production. Approach: In this study, we assessed the prevalence of UTI in two groups of individuals which included patients with HIV/AIDS and non-HIV antenatal patients. Results: E. coli was the predominant pathogen associated with bacteriuria in both the HIV group and the non-HIV group. In vitro sensitivity revealed that 96.2 and 31.8% of the E. coli isolates from the HIV patients and non-HIV patients were resistant to co-trimoxazole. Also, 72.7 and 4.5% of E. coli strains produced ESBL and/or AmpC among the HIV and the non-HIV antenatal patients respectively. Conclusion: Our data suggests that UTI may represent a relevant cause of morbidity among the HIV/AIDS patients.