Neonatal intensive care units: extended spectrum ß-lactamase genes and biofilm formation by Serratia marcescens.

BACKGROUND: The increasing cases of bloodstream infections among children at neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) led this work to investigate biofilm production, antibiotics and the presence of ESßL genes in Serratia marcescens (S. marcescens) strains isolated from blood. METHODS: Twenty S. marcescens strains were isolated and identified by the VITEK-2 system over 7 months from late 2022 to mid-2023 from Ibn Al-Balady Hospital in Baghdad. Kirby-Bauer test was used to measure antibiotic susceptibility. RESULTS: The results revealed that 95% of twenty S. marcescens isolates were non-susceptible to Ampicillin and Amoxicillin-clavulanic. Furthermore, S. marcescens isolates showed a high sensitivity rate 70% toward Imipenem. All S. marcescens strains 100% were produced biofilm. This work clarifies that, out of 20 S. marcescens strains, 80% were harbored ESßL genes. The coexistence of blaTEM, blaCTX and blaSHV genes was shown in 43.75% of strains, while 56.25% of S. marcescens strains harbored single ES[Formula: see text]L genes. The biofilm values increase with the accuracy of EsßL genes. Phylogenetic analyses based on the sequence of blaCTX-M and blaTEM were done with closely related genes in the GenBank using MEGA6 software. CONCLUSIONS: The distribution of blaTEM, blaCTX and blaSHV genes among local S. marcescens strains may be attributed to the indiscriminate use of antibiotics. The results confirmed the spread of ESßL genes in S. marcescens from blood infections among newborn infants.

Evaluated gene expressions of Metallo beta lactamase genes GIM and , VIM, SPM in Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is considered as one of the human health care problems, P. aeruginosa's carbapenem resistance emerges by several different mechanisms, some of which include carbapenems genes. P. aeruginosa's carbapenem resistance is a significant health concern, So this study aims to evaluate MBL gene expressions. The study was conducted at the Department of Microbiology, AL-Mahmoodia Hospital, over one year from January to December 2022. The samples were collected from patients with different clinical sources (Burn, Urine, Wound, Sputum, Ear, and Blood), from different ages while. Samples were collected from three hospitals in Baghdad including Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital, AL-Mahmmodiya Hospital, and Child's Central Teaching Hospital. A study analyzed 55 P. aeruginosa strains from various clinical sources, the study utilizes the chemical characterization, VITEK 2 system, 16s rRNA, antibiogram sensitivity tests, antibiotic susceptibility using eight antibiotics, including Amikacin, Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin, Imipenem Meropenem, Piperacillin, Cefepim and Aztreonam. The test of bacterial susceptibility revealed that each isolate was highly resistant to piperacillin, which are 96.36%, and lower resistance to Ciprofloxacin, which are 32%. Phenotypic screening carbapenem resistance methods combined the disk synergy test and conventional PCR that were used to detect isolates by using 16 S rRNA. This proves that the bacteria is P. aeruginosa and computed by measuring gene expression of the target genes (GIM, VIM, SPM) by using the real-time PCR, which is employed for twenty-five isolates. The result indicates that the expression level of the VIM gene is highly regulated in carbapenem-resistance isolates compared to control isolates that is 1.00. While the expression level of gene GIM and SPM is downregulated in carbapenem-resistance isolates compared to control isolates that is 6. The carbapenem VIM and GIM, SPM (class B) genes are essential for resistance in P. aeruginosa induced by chromosomal changes that modify membrane permeability efflux pump overexpression for genes. As a result, many studies require for discovering new strategies to reduce the threat to public health through preventing the spread of these isolates via tight infections, control measures, and the reduction of the danger to public health.