Prevalence of (CTX-M-2) beta lactamase gene in E.coli isolated from patients with urinary tract infections (UTI) in Sanandaj, Iran

In recent years, the production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) among clinical isolates of bacteria in particular E.coli has been on the rise. Production of beta-Lactamase in E.coli has caused many problems in the treatment of the patients. The CTX-M-2 gene is one of the several factors producing resistance due to ESBL. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility to beta-lactam antibiotics and investigation of the CTX-M-2 gene level in E. coli isolated from urine samples. In this study, 260 UTI samples were collected from medical centers in Sanandaj and 100 E.coli isolates were collected and confirmed by biochemical tests. Then susceptibility test to 11 selected antibiotics were performed by disk diffusion method and the ESBLs producing strains were identified by the combined disk method. Using PCR method, ESBLs positive strains were examined for the presence of CTX-M-2 gene. The results of the phenotype tests showed that out of 100 E.coli strains, 27 (27%) were ESBLs producing. Also, PCR showed that among these 27 strains, 2 (7.4%) strains contained CTX-M-2 gene. Considering the high rate of resistance to the third generation cephalosporins, careful antibiogram tests is an inevitable necessity before prescribing antibiotics for the treatment of infections caused by ESBLs producing organisms.