Prevalence of Oxacillinase Genes in Clinical Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria

The emergence of OXA-type beta-lactamases has become a significant threat to public healthcare systems and may lead to prolonged hospital stays and increased mortality rates among affected patients. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of oxacillinase resistance (OXA) genes in multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria.

One hundred and six clinical isolates were collected from a stock of Gram-negative isolates and were identified and tested for antibiotic susceptibility and presence of OXA genes using polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

The most common detected isolate was Klebsiella pneumoniae (36.8%), followed by Escherichia coli (33%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (16%), and Acinetobacter baumannii (14.2%). Out of these isolates, 97.4%, 87.2%, 84.6%, and 79.5% were resistant to ampicillin/sulbactam, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, and aztreonam, respectively. PCR results confirmed the presence of one or more OXA genes in 34% of the samples studied. The blaOXA-1 and blaOXA-10 genes were the most highly detected genes, followed by blaOXA-4 and blaOXA-51. The total number of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates was confirmed to carry at least one OXA gene (70.6%), whereas Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli were confirmed to carry at least one OXA gene (53.3, 28.2, and 22.9%, respectively). There was a significant association (p < 0.05) between the resistance genes and the type of isolate.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii are the most common MDR Gram-negative strains carrying OXA-type beta-lactamase genes. Monitoring of MDR pathogens in Gram-negative bacteria must be continuously undertaken to implement effective measures for infection control and prevention.