Prevalence of integrons in Enterobacteriaceae obtained from clinical samples

Multi-drug resistant bacteria are a public health problem associated with high morbidity and mortality globally. This increasing drug resistance has been linked to gene exchange between bacteria. Integrons are gene exchange systems and are known to play a significant role in the acquisition and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes especially in Gram negative bacteria. Hence, this study aims to evaluate integrons in members of Enterobacteriaceae obtained from clinical samples. Forty- nine (49) isolates identified as Escherichia coli (45), Proteus mirabilis (2), Shimwellia blattae (1), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (1) were resistant to amoxicillin/clavulanate, cefuroxime, cefixime and ceftazidime while 43(87.76%), 45(91.84%), 46(93.88%) and 29(59.18%) of these strains were resistant to gentamicin, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin and nitrofurantoin, respectively. Class 1 integrons were found in E. coli (18), Klebsiella pneumoniae (1) and Proteus mirabilis (1). This study revealed that large proportion of the strains studied were multi-drug resistant, and possessed integrons. Consequently, there is a need for proactive antibiotic surveillance system in both healthcare and community settings with a view to reducing the incidence and spread of antibiotic resistance genes between different species of bacteria.   Key words: Enterobacteriaceae, clinical samples integrons, multidrug resistance.