Prevalence of qnr genes among Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from Suez Canal University hospitals in Ismailia

Background: Quinolone resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) has spread widely across health care settings. This research aimed to identify prevalence of plasmid mediated quinolone resistance (qnr) determinants in A. baumannii isolates from Suez Canal University Hospitals (SCUHs). Methods: A. baumannii strains were isolated from various clinical specimens and identified by conventional methods and confirmed by PCR. Antibiotic susceptibility was performed using Kerby-Bauer disc diffusion method. The qnr genes were detected using conventional PCR. Results: The study included forty-four A. baumannii most of them were recovered from the intensive care units (66%). The highest resistance was to ceftazidime at rate of (95.5%), and the lowest resistance was to doxycycline (45.5%). Resistance to fluoroquinolones was (81.8%). About 80% of isolates were multidrug resistant. The qnrA gene was detected in (16.7%) of isolates and qnrB gene in (11%) of isolates. The qnrS gene was not detected in any of the isolates. Conclusions: Multidrug resistance in A. baumannii is extremely concerning. Continuous preventive actions should be taken to prevent horizontal spread of plasmid mediated qnr genes in A. baumannii.