Molecular study of pneumonia infection caused by Klebsiella pneumoniaefrom Kut City

Abstract

To investigate the prevalence and antibiotic resistance patterns of Klebsiellapneumoniae causing pneumonia in Kut City, Iraq. Sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage, and blood samples were collected from 50 patients with pneumonia. Samples were cultured on selective media, and K. pneumoniae was identified using PCR targeting the 16S rRNA gene.Antibiotic susceptibility was determined using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method.The Resultsshowed that 12 out of 50 (24%) patients were positive for K. pneumoniae. A higher prevalence was observed in the city (30%) compared to the village (15%). A male-to-female ratio of 2:1 was observed among positive cases. High resistance rates were observed to multiple antibiotics, including carbapenems (100% resistance). Lower resistance was found for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (83.33%). The study highlights the significant public health threat posed by multi-drug resistant K. pneumoniae and in the city compared to the village suggests an association with population density and environmental factors. The gender disparity in infection rates requires further investigation. The study confirms a substantial prevalence of antibiotic-resistant K.pneumoniae in Kut City, emphasizing the need for enhanced infection control, surveillance, and development of new therapeutic strategies to combat this growing threat. Further research is needed to clarify the observed urban-rural and gender differences in infection rates. The study recommends using whole-genome sequencing for more accurate species identification in future studies