Detection and Characterization of Carbapenem resistant Gram-negative bacilli isolates recovered from hospitalized patients at Soba University Hospital, Sudan
Abstract Background:Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a threat to global health security. Whilst over the past decade, there has been an increase in reports of nosocomial infections globally caused by carbapenem resistant Gram-negative bacilli (GNB), data from Africa have been scanty. We performed a study of carbapenem resistance genes among GNB isolated from patients treated in hospitals in Khartoum state, Sudan.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted at Soba University Hospital (SUH) and Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum for the period October 2016 to February 2017. A total of 206 GNB isolates from different clinical specimens were analyzed for carbapenem resistance genes using phenotypic tests and affirmed by genes detection. Multiplex PCR was performed for each strain to detect the carbapenemase genes, including the blaNDM, blaVIM, blaIMP, blaKPC, and blaOXA-48. In addition to blaCTXM, blaTEM and blaSHV. DNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were used to detect genes subtypes.Findings:Of 206 isolates, 171 (83%) were confirmed resistant phenotypically and 121 (58.7%) isolates were positive for the presence of one or more carbapenemase gene. New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) types were the most predominant genes, blaNDM 107(88.4%). Others included blaIMP 7 (5.7%), blaOXA-48 5(4.1%), blaVIM 2 (1.6%) and blaKPC 0 (0%). Co- resistance genes with NDM producing GNB were detected in 87 (81.3%) of all blaNDM positive isolates. A significant association between phenotypic and genotypic resistance was observed (P- value < 0.001). NDM-1 was the most sub type was observed in 75 isolates (70 %), other subtypes were NDM- 5 and NDM-6. Infections due to Carbapenem resistant GNB are increasing at SUH, with the blaNDM being the prevalent genes among clinical isolates and belong to the Indian lineage.Conclusions:The frequency of carbapenemase producing bacilli was found to be improperly high in Khartoum hospitals. NDM was found to be the most prevalent carbapenemase gene among clinical isolates. Close surveillance across all hospitals in Sudan is required. The relative distribution of Carbapenemase genes among GNB in nosocomial infections in Africa needs to be defined.