PLASMID MEDIATED ANTIBIOTICS RESISTANCE PROFILE AND NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCE OF A NOVEL BROAD SPECTRUM β-LACTAMASE FROM UROPATHOGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI 

PLASMID MEDIATED ANTIBIOTICS RESISTANCE PROFILE AND NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCE OF A NOVEL BROAD SPECTRUM β-LACTAMASE FROM UROPATHOGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI 

ABSTRACT

Genetic determinants responsible for bacterial resistance to commonly used and newly introduced antibiotics in Nigeria were investigated. Of the 150 E. coli isolates from urinary tract infections surveyed, 149 (99%) were resistant to at least two different antibiotics, and 131 (87%) were resistant to Unasyn(Ii). The commonest resistance pattern was combined resistance to ampicillin, ampicillin/sulbactam, cefuroxime, tetracycline, trimethoprim/ sulfamethoxazole, and sulfamethoxazole Seventy two (48%) of the tested isolates transferred resistant plasmids to a recipient strain, E. coli K12CV601. Results showed that urinary tract infection is caused by genetically unrelated strains of E. coli in the geographical regions of this country studied. In this study a high incidence (87.3%) of resistance to ampicillin/sulbactam was observed in UTI isolates from this country Whereas there was complete sensitivity to amoxycillin/clavulanate and tiearcillin/elavulanate, the combination of ampicillin and sulbactam, which combines a β-lactam antibiotic with a β-lactamase inhibitor was grossly ineffective. This study indicates that the attempt at using sulbactam as a component of Unasyn(R) in dealing with all types of β-lactamasc-mediatcd antibiotic resistance in Nigeria is only marginally effective since only 16 out of 147 (1 1%) isolates resistant to ampicillin were sensitive to the combination. The ampicillin/sulbactam combination would be expected to be more effective for bacterial infections not involving E. coli producing extended broad spectrum bcta-lactamase.

PLASMID MEDIATED ANTIBIOTICS RESISTANCE PROFILE AND NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCE OF A NOVEL BROAD SPECTRUM β-LACTAMASE FROM UROPATHOGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI