African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 6 (15), pp. 1791-1793, 6 August 2007   

ISSN 1684–5315 © 2007 Academic Journals        

Short Communication

Multi drug resistance and β-lactamase production by Klebsiella pneumoniae

Habeeb Khadri .C¹, S. Surekha¹, S. Lakshmi¹ and G. Narasimha²*

¹Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College, Anantapur, A. P. India

²Department of Microbiology, National PG College, Nandyal-518502 India.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: gnsimha123@rediffmail.com.

Accepted 22 June, 2007

The extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production and multidrug resistant of Klebsiella pneumoniae in children below 5 years of ages are investigated. The K. pneumoniae strains isolated from patients suffering from intestinal and extra intestinal infection between the 0 - 5 year’s ages of children showed resistant to the three antibiotics (ceftazidime, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone), and coexist with non β-lactam resistance and ESBL production. All the strains were susceptibility to the antibiotic, imipenem. Out off 110 strains only 9 strains produced ESBL. The plasmid responsible for the antibiotic resistance and ESBL production can be transferred to recipient Escherichia coli strain.

Key words: Klebsiella pneumoniae, drug resistance, ESBL production.