జర్నల్ ఆఫ్ క్లినికల్ అండ్ మెడికల్ సైన్సెస్

నైరూప్య

Phenotypic and Molecular Study of Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae in a Regional Hospital in Northern Morocco

Younes Mahrach, Nadira Mourabit, Abdelhay Arakrak, Mohammed Bakkali, Amin Laglaoui

Objective: This study aims to assess the prevalence of clinical isolates of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE), and to characterize the types of carbapenemases produced among the strains isolated from different samples in patients hospitalized at the regional hospital in Tangier in the North of Morocco over 12 month period (January to December 2015).

Methods: A total of 367 isolates of Enterobacteriaceae were collected from inpatients, antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates was determined, and Enterobacteriaceae isolates with reduced susceptibility to carbapenems were investigated by phenotypic study using a range of techniques including antibiotic susceptibility testing, modified Hodge test and the double-disk synergy method. Expression of the genes encoding carbapenemases measured using PCR.

Results: Twenty-two strains of Enterobacteriaceae were isolated which were expressing the phenotypic production of carbapenemases so 5.99% of Enterobacteriaceae are CPE. According to molecular study, the blaOXA-48 gene was the most commonly encountered with twelve isolates harboring this gene. Two isolates were carrying the blaIMP-1 gene, two carried the blaVIM-1 gene, a further two carried the blaKPC-1 gene, and two strains were found to be harboring more than one gene.

Conclusion: This is the first study to reveal the prevalence of CPE in Northern Morocco and reports the first description of Metallo-beta-lactamase KPC- 1-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Morocco.