Thesis (MTech (Medical Technology))--Cape Technikon, 1998. / This study was undertaken to investigate resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics
and the transfer of resistance in selected Gram negative bacilli in hospitals in the
Greater Durban area in order to determine whether the development of resistance
in this region was similar to that found in other countries and whether it was the
same in the hospitals in the region. It was intended that the study might expose
the existence of nosocomial pathogens of a particular strain or endemic plasmids
responsible for aminoglycoside antibiotic resistance.
Strains of Klebsiella, Enterobacter and Serratia species and Escherichia coli
resistant to gentamicin, tobramycin, netilmicin or amikacin were obtained.
Resistance of the isolates obtained to the above aminoglycoside antibiotics was
confirmed using a disc diffusion technique. Resistance mechanisms were initially assigned on the basis of resistance to these
four aminoglycoside antibiotics. In approximately 50% of the isolates, including
donor isolates and their respective transconjugants, resistance mechanisms were
confirmed or revised on the basis of a changed resistance profile to a range of 12
aminoglycoside antibiotics in conjunction with DNA/DNA hybridization tests.
Bacterial conjugation studies were performed on selected isolates to investigate the
transfer of aminoglycoside resistance from Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates to
recipient Escherichia coli.
Plasmid profiles of all isolates and Escherichia colitransconjugants were compared
to establish similarities.
Isolates in three of the four genera of bacteria and all isolates collectively,
demonstrated the greatest incidence of resistance to tobramycin. Amikacin
resistance was, in all groups of isolates, the least frequently encountered.
Collectively, the most frequent mechanisms of resistance were the AAC(3)-V and
AAC(6')-1 enzymes
One large hospital showed a high frequency of the AAC(3)-V modifying enzyme
while in other hospitals a wider range of enzyme resistance mechanisms were
evident.
Plasmid profiles were generally dissimilar within and between different genera and
the different hospitals. / Mangosuthu Technikon Research Fund
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:cput/oai:localhost:20.500.11838/2254 |
| Date | January 1998 |
| Creators | Hunt, Kevan Owen |
| Contributors | Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Faculty of Health and Wellness. Dept. of Biomedical Sciences. |
| Publisher | Cape Technikon |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/za/ |
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