Molecular Epidemiology of Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli Isolated from Hospitalized Patients with Urinary Tract Infections in Northern Palestine
Department of Biological Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, P. O. Box 7, Palestine
M. AL-MASRI
Department of Biological Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, P. O. Box 7, Palestine
Preferred Abstract (Original):
Abstract
Eighty isolates of Escherichia coli were collected in Northern Palestine throughout
the 1996 to 2000 period from hospitalized patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Resistance rates were ampicillin, 65%; co-trimoxazole, 55%; cefuroxime,
10%; cefotaxime, 7.5%; ceftazidime, 2.5%; ciprofloxacin, 12.5%; gentamicin, 6.25%
and amikacin, 1.25%. No imipenem-resistant isolates were identified. To determine
whether this was due to intra-hospital transmission of resistant strains, clonal structure
of 10 multiple-resistant isolates was examined by genomic DNA fingerprinting
by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic concensus-polymerase chain reaction (ERICPCR) and all were clonally distinct. Thus, these strains are likely resistant due
to convergent acquisition of resistance determinants by genetically unrelated
uropathogenic strains rather than epidemic spread of resistant isolates.
Key words: E. coli, antibiotic-resistance, DNA fingerprinting, ERIC-PCR
* Correspondence to: Dr. K. Adwan, Department of Biological Sciences, An-Najah
N. University, P. O. Box (7)-Nablus, Palestine. Fax: 972 9 387 982; e-mail:
adwank@yahoo.com