Prevalence of the TEM gene in Eschericia coli and Klebseilla pneumoniae isolates from clinical microbiology laboratory

Abstract

Background Antimicrobial resistance poses a significant obstacle to the effective treatment of diseases everywhere. In enterobacteriaceae, the TEM gene is a crucial contributor to resistance. There is a significant vacuum in the body of knowledge regarding the genes that underlie antibiotic resistance. Therefore, this information would be crucial in adjusting the antimicrobial therapy. Objective This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of the TEM gene among isolates of enterobacteriaceae obtained from the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Makerere Unuversity College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda. Methodology 46 known isolates of enterobacteriaceae were obtained from the clinical microbiology laboratory, DNA was extracted from the isolates using the conventional CTAB method. Conventional PCR method was applied to amplify the TEM gene and Agarose Gel electrophoresis was used to visualize amplification of the PCR products. Results Out of the 46 isolates of enterobacteriaceae, only 21 were positive for the TEM gene. Conclusion This study revealed a high prevalence of TEM gene from the clinical isolates received in the Clinical Microbiology laboratory at the college of Health sciences .46.5% of the isolates were positive for the gene.