Caracterización de la resistencia a tigeciclina mediada por plásmidos en aislados de Klebsiella pneumoniae de origen ecuatoriano

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (RAM) is considered one of the main threats to public health, food security and global development. Currently, the rapid spread of multidrug-resistant, extensively drug-resistant and pandrug-resistant microorganisms represent a potential global health problem. Therefore, the study of resistance profiles to various antibiotics, including those that are considered last resort (tigecycline) in clinically important isolates is essential in the country. This study was based on characterizing the profiles of phenotypic and genotypic resistance to tigecycline in K. pneumoniae isolates belonging to the collection of the National Reference Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance (CN-RAM) in the period 2020-2021. In a total of 376 samples analysed, the presence of resistance genes to tigecycline (tetX, tet(X3) and tet(X4)) was not evidenced, however, a total of 35 strains resistant to said antibiotic were detected in the period. In addition, the presence of carbapenem resistance genes was evaluated, where the blaKPC gene stood out, due to its high prevalence in the samples (370 of 376). The resistance profiles to different antibiotics showed a high rate of resistance to Beta-lactams, followed by fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides, while colistin and tigecycline maintain low rates of resistance. The statistical analysis obtained showed that there is no significant difference between the resistance profiles in 2020 with those obtained in 2021, which suggests that antimicrobial resistance remained constant within this period.