Abstract
Resistance to a variety of frequently used antimicrobials in hospital-associated pathogen is one of the biggest challenge which have significant impact on patient’s outcome and health care cost. Present study relates with the antibiotic resistance profile and frequency distribution of Enterobacter cancerogenus (NS3-E-8) isolated from hospital associated samples at Khairpur, Sindh, Pakistan. The hospital-associated samples in total 280 (162 male, 118 female) were randomly collected from the basic health care vicinities and their associated laboratories of Khairpur and Sukkur cities. Enterobacter colonies were separated and subjected to identification using microbial methods like cultural, morpho-microscopic and biochemical characteristics followed by the molecular biography using the 16SrRNA sequence-based homology. After all the antimicrobial resistance profile was determined according to the Kirby-Bauer's disc-diffusion assay using panel of antibiotics (Amoxicillin clavunic acid, Sparfloxacin, Gentamycin, Azomax, Enoxacin, Piperacillin Tazobactam, Moxifloxacin, Fosfomycin, Fusidic acid, and Sulbactam). Overall, the nine 9 (3% of 280) strains of genus Enterobacter were isolated from stool 100% (6 of 6) and blood 21% (3 of 14) while it was completely absent in rest of the samples like high vaginal swab, Urine, Pus, ear swab, throat swab, ascitic fluid, Cerebrospinal fluid and pleural fluid. Enterobacter in gender wise prevalence was 66.7% prevalent in stools and blood samples of female while 33.3% in respective samples of male patient. The results of antimicrobial resistance profile revealed that isolated strains were completely resistant against used panel of antibiotics. Phylogenetic correlation of amplified 16S rRNA gene sequence of Enterobacter isolate (NS3-E-8) shared 99% similarity with Enterobacter cancerogenus strain (LMG 2693) available at NCBI GenBank. Prevalence of antibiotic resistant pathogen Enterobacter cancerogenus in clinical specimens calls for timely control measures to reduce hospital associated infection, health care cost and developing resistance.
