Prevalence and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of ESβL-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in School Children: A Study in Abakaliki Metropolis, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Background and Aim: ESBL-producing bacteria are a significant public health problem due to their resistance to multiple antibiotics, making infections caused by these organisms challenging to treat. The study surveyed the prevalence of ESβL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in Abakaliki using 600 urine samples. Materials and Methods: A 30-50 ml sample of urine midstream was collected in a sterile container and immediately taken to laboratory for analysis. The isolation and identification of K. pneumoniae were performed using standard microbiological techniques. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby Bauer disc diffusion technique on Mueller-Hinton agar, following theClinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) procedure. Results: Out of the 600 urine samples from primary and secondary school children, 96 (16 %) K. pneumonia isolates were recovered, 29(4.8 %) from primary and 67(11.2 %) from secondary school children. Susceptibility test results showed that the test organisms were susceptible to gatifloxacin 68(70.8 %), Ofloxacin 65(67.7 %), pefloxacin 65 (67.7 %), ciprofloxacin 71(74 %), nitrofurantoin 87(90.6 %), but showed resistance to tetracycline 33(34.4 %), sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim 30(31.3 %), and streptomycin 36(37.65 %). The test organisms were also shown to be susceptible to beta-lactam antibiotics: Ceftazidime 67(69.8 %), imipenem 81(84.4 %), and cefoxitin 77(80.20 %) but showed resistance to ceftriaxone 32(33.3 %) and cefotaxime 26(27.1 %). Out of 96 isolates of K. pneumoniae screened for the presence of ESβL enzymes, 17(17.7 %) were positive. ESβL-producing organisms showed resistance to three or more antibacterial classes and thus exhibited multi-drug-resistant patterns. Conclusion: This study highlights the resistance to commonly used antibiotics by the isolates, emphasizing the need for ongoing surveillance and infection control. The findings provide crucial data for preventing and managing ESβL infections, thus addressing this critical public health issue.