Frequency of Metallo-beta-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli Bacteria in Urinary Tract Isolates

Abbas Atiya  Hammoudi

Abbas Atiya Hammoudi College of Health and Medical Technologies, Al-Bayan University, Baghdad, Iraq

Keywords: UTIs, E coli, Metallo-beta-Lactamase Enzymes, Antimicrobial Sensitivity Tests

Abstract

Introduction: The most popular facultative Gram-negative anaerobic bacillus that causes community-acquired urinary tract infection (UTI) illness is Escherichia coli. The present study sought to detect E. coli isolates that produced MBLs in patients who suffered from UTIs and to determine the antibiotic susceptibility pattern in these isolates.
Methods: A total of 210 urine specimens were collected from patients with clinical signs and symptoms of a UTI. only 52 (42.6%) specimens demonstrated Escherichia coli growth. Metallo-lactamase (MBL) enzymes were examined using three separate phenotypic techniques: the Double Disk Synergy Test (DDST), the Combined EDTA Disk Test (CMDT), and the Modified Hodge Test (MHT), all of which included the selection of a 10 microg meropenem antibiotic disk as a positive test. The commercially available antibiotic disks were used in the susceptibility test.
Results: Results demonstrated that 30 out of the 52 isolates (57.7%) tested positive for the production of the MBL enzymes. DDST test demonstrated a significant zone of enhancement between the meropenem disk and the EDTA disk in eight isolates. CMDT test revealed 17 (56.7%) for the 30 E. coli isolates showed zone inhibition widths of at least 7 mm surrounding the meropenem-linked EDTA disk, and 15 out of 30 isolates of carbapenem-resistant E. coli tested positive for MHT. The most resistance of the selected antibiotics were ceftriaxone and co-trimoxazole (76.9%), ceftazidime (73.1%), tobramycin (71.2%), and the most effective against every isolate of E. coli was imipenem (86.5%), followed by meropenem (84.6%) and nitrofurantoin (75.0%).
Conclusion: The findings emphasise the urgent need for routine surveillance of antibiotic resistance, judicious use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, and improved infection control and diagnostic practices. Implementing these strategies can help reduce the burden of MDR infections and guide appropriate treatment to curb the spread of resistant strains in clinical settings.

How to cite this article:
Hammoudi A A. Frequency of Metallo-beta-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli Bacteria in Urinary Tract Isolates. J Commun Dis. 2026;58(1):72-79.

DOI: https://doi.org/ 10.24321/0019.5138.202609

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