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The prevalence and clonal diversity of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in Kuwait
K Ahmed1, G Martinez, S Wilson
1Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Japan.
Abstract:
Penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP) is widespread all over the world, including countries previously free of PRSP. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence, the common serotypes and the clonality of PRSP isolated over a period of 1 year, from various clinical samples from three major hospitals in Kuwait. Strains were identified by standard methods and their antibiotic susceptibility was determined by the agar dilution method. The clonality of the isolates was determined by repetitive extragenic palindromic sequence polymerase chain reaction (REP-PCR) genomic profiling and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Serotyping was done by Quellung reaction using specific antisera. We found that 55% of the S. pnuemoniae were resistant to penicillin (46% and 9% exhibited intermediate and full resistance, respectively). Nearly 41% were resistant to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, 9% to cefotaxime and ceftriaxone, 15% to amoxycillin-clavulanate, 17% to cefuroxime, 77 % to cefaclor, and 14% to clindamycin. The commonest serotypes among the PRSPs were 6A, 6B, 14, 19F, 23F and nontypable. PFGE and REP-PCR patterns showed a large diversity of genetic clones of the PRSP. Serotypes 6B, 14, 19F and 23F were more clonally related than the others. Our data showed that the prevalence of PRSP was high, the serotypes were diversified and different genetic clones make up the population of circulating PRSP in Kuwait.
Insights
Penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP) is highly prevalent in Kuwait, with diverse serotypes and genetic clones identified. This highlights the need for ongoing surveillance of antibiotic resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Molecular Epidemiology
Background:
- Penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP) poses a significant global health challenge.
- Emergence and spread of PRSP in previously unaffected regions necessitate local epidemiological studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence, common serotypes, and clonality of PRSP in Kuwait.
- To assess antibiotic susceptibility patterns of PRSP isolates.
Main Methods:
- Antibiotic susceptibility testing using agar dilution.
- Genomic profiling via REP-PCR and PFGE for clonality assessment.
- Serotyping using Quellung reaction.
Main Results:
- 55% of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates were resistant to penicillin.
- High resistance rates observed for sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (41%) and cefaclor (77%).
- Common PRSP serotypes included 6A, 6B, 14, 19F, and 23F; PFGE and REP-PCR revealed genetic diversity.
Conclusions:
- Kuwait exhibits a high prevalence of PRSP with diverse serotypes and circulating clones.
- Specific serotypes (6B, 14, 19F, 23F) showed greater clonal relatedness.
- Findings underscore the importance of continuous monitoring of PRSP epidemiology and resistance patterns.