Molecular Detection of blaNDM-1 Gene of Escherichia coli isolates from Different Clinical Samples in Khartoum State

Background: Increasing reports on NDM-1 producing E. coli constitute a serious threat to global health since it is found to be highly resistant to most of the currently available antibiotics, including carbapenems family like Meropenem and Imipenem.

Objective: This study aim to detect the NDM-1 Gene in E. coli isolates recovered from the various clinical samples (85(85%) from urine, 10(10 %) wound swabs, 3(3%) sputum and 2(2%) vaginal swabs) at Khartoum state in Sudan.

Materials and Methods: A total of 100 E. coli isolates were recovered from various clinical samples at Khartoum state. The isolates were identified at the species level using standard biochemical tests. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using the Kirby-Bauer method, the following antibiotics disks were used: amoxicillin (30µg), Cefepime (30µg), Ceftriaxone (30µg), Cefpodoxime (10µg), Meropenem(10µg) and Imipenem (10µg). DNA was extracted using boiling (100%) method, and they were subjected to the polymerase chain reaction detection of bla NDM-1 gene.

Results: The E. coli recovered in this study were highly resistant to cephalosporins, including Cefepime (60%) Ceftriaxone (81%), and found to be completely resistant to the Cefpodoxime (100%). Similar high level of resistance was also observed amongst the E. coli isolates to Penicillin including Amoxicillin (82%), Also showed reduced susceptibility to the Carbapenems including meropenem and imipenem at the rate of (94%) and (90%) respectively, in which 9 isolates harbored NDM-1 gene.

Conclusions: Our findings highlight the incidence of bla NDM-1 gene in E. coli isolates (9%). This finding is less than that obtained from previous study. The differences in the time of study, the number and sites of sample collection, and the differences in the antibiotics' use and consumption may explain this.