Abstract:
Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a threat to global health security.
Whilst over the past decade, there has been an increase in reports of nosocomial
infections globally caused by carbapenem resistant Gram-negative bacilli (GNB). This
study aimed to detect and characterize carbapenem resistance Gram negative bacteria
isolated from hospitalized patients in Soba University Hospital (SUH) in Khartoum
State, Sudan
Results: A total of 206 GNB isolates from different clinical specimens were obtained
from hospitalised patients between October 2016 to February 2017. Of 206 isolates,
171 (83%) were confirmed resistant phenotypically and 121 (58.7%) isolates were
positive for the presence of one or more carbapenemase genes. New Delhi metallo-β-
lactamase (NDM) types were the most predominant genes, bla NDM 107(52%).
Others included bla IMP 7 (3.4%), bla OXA-48 5(2.4%), bla VIM 2 (0.9%) and bla
KPC 0 (0%). Co-resistance genes with NDM producing GNB were detected in 87
(81.3%) of all bla NDM positive isolates. A significant association between phenotypic
and genotypic resistance was observed (P < 0.001). NDM1 was the most frequent
subtype observed in 75 (70 %) isolates which cluster to the Indian lineage.
Conclusions: The frequency of carbapenemase producing bacilli was found to be
improperly high in SUH. NDM was found to be the most prevalent carbapenemase
gene among clinical isolates. Close surveillance across all hospitals in Sudan is
required. The relative distribution of carbapenemase genes among GNB in nosocomial
infections in Africa needs to be defined
