Carbapenem Resistance in Gram-Negative Bacteria: A Hospital-Based Study in Egypt

The global spread of carbapenem resistance and the resulting increase in mortality forced the World Health Organization (WHO) to claim carbapenem-resistant (CRE) as global priority pathogens. Our study aimed to determine the prevalence of carbapenemase-encoding genes and major plasmid incompatibility groups among Gram-negative hospital-based isolates in Egypt. : This cross-sectional study was carried out at Mansoura University Hospitals over 12 months, from January to December 2019. All the isolates were tested for carbapenem resistance. The selected isolates were screened by conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of carbapenemase genes, namely , , , and . PCR-based plasmid replicon typing was performed using the commercial PBRT kit. : Out of 150 isolates, only 30 (20.0%) demonstrated carbapenem resistance. was the most resistant of all isolated bacteria, and was the predominant carbapenemases gene, while the most prevalent plasmid replicons were the F replicon combination (FIA, FIB, and FII) and A/C. Plasmids were detected only in , , and Pseudomonas . Remarkably, we found a statistically significant association between carbapenemase genes and plasmid replicons, including , IncA/C, and IncX. : Our study demonstrated an alarming rise of plasmid-mediated carbapenem-resistant bacteria in our locality. The coexistence of resistance genes and plasmids highlights the importance of a targeted antibiotic surveillance program and the development of alternative therapeutic options at the local and international levels. Based on our results, we suggest a large-scale study with more isolates, testing other carbapenemase-encoding genes, and comparing the replicon typing method with other plasmid detection methods. We also recommend a national action plan to control the irrational use of antibiotics in Egypt.