Characterization of Cefotaxime Resistant Klebsiella Pneumoniae (CRKP) isolated from the environment of selected chicken farms in Wakiso District, Uganda

Abstract

Poultry can harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria that pose a threat to human health through contaminated food or direct contact. This study investigated the characteristics of cefotaximeresistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) isolated from chicken farm litter in Wakiso district, Uganda. A retrospective study was done on a total of 98 litter samples which were cultured for CRKP and the isolates further subjected to virulence factor tests - lipase, hyper mucoviscocity, urease and biofilm formation, antimicrobial sensitivity testing and detection of genes linked to cefotaxime resistance. Only CTX-M-15 a common molecular determinant of cefotaxime resistance was investigated. The prevalence of CRKP was 32.7% (48/98). Phenotypic analyses showed that all isolates exhibited multi-drug resistance (MDR), with high resistance rates (over 90%) to tetracycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, ampicillin, chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin. All isolated produced extended spectrum beta lactamases (ESBL) as revealed by the modified double disc synergy test. The majority of isolates belonged to the MDR 6 (43.8%) and MDR 7 classes (25.0%), resistant to 6 or 7 antibiotic families respectively. Notably, all isolates were susceptible to imipenem, a critically important last-resort antibiotic against multi-drug resistant bacteria. While none of the isolates displayed lipase activity, all produced urease. Other virulence factor assays indicated that 21.9% and 18.8% of isolates demonstrated biofilm formation and hyper mucoviscosity, respectively. Genotypic testing identified the blaCTX-M-15 gene in 18.8% of CRKP isolates. This study highlights the significant presence of MDR CRKP in poultry environments, posing a potential risk to public health and emphasizing the need for stringent antimicrobial stewardship and biosecurity measures in poultry farming