Comprehensive Characterization and Antibiotic Resistance Profiling of Klebsiella pneumoniae from UTI Patients at District Abbottabad

Abstract

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common bacterial disease, affecting millions of people annually and burdening healthcare systems worldwide. Klebsiella pneumoniae, a leading uropathogen, has emerged as a significant cause of both community-acquired and hospital-acquired UTIs, especially in patients with indwelling catheters, prior antibiotic exposure, or compromised immune status. The rise of multidrug-resistant and carbapenem-resistant strains of K. pneumoniae has complicated therapeutic management, necessitating rapid detection, accurate identification, and ongoing surveillance of resistance patterns. This study isolated and identified K. pneumoniae from urine specimens collected in Abbottabad regions, characterizing its biochemical profile and assessing its susceptibility to clinically relevant antibiotics. Out of 30 urine specimens processed, two isolates (6.7%) were conclusively identified as K. pneumoniae, displaying characteristic Gram-negative, non-motile bacillary morphology and yielding biochemical reactions consistent with the species. API 20E profile codes corroborated these findings, providing high levels of confidence in species identification. Antibiotic sensitivity testing revealed a multidrug-resistant phenotype, with negligible zones of inhibition for cefixime, ciprofloxacin, and azithromycin, indicating clear resistance. Reduced susceptibility was also observed to carbapenems, with meropenem and imipenem producing markedly diminished inhibition zones. Moxifloxacin showed limited activity, suggesting that fluoroquinolones may no longer provide reliable coverage for such strains in the study region. Detecting multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae highlights an urgent clinical challenge due to its inherent ability to acquire resistance determinants and its repertoire of virulence factors. The study underscores the necessity for routine antimicrobial susceptibility testing in local laboratories to guide evidence-based therapy and inform empirical treatment guidelines. Future investigations should incorporate molecular approaches to delineate the specific resistance genes and virulence determinants circulating in regional K. pneumoniae populations.

Key words: Klebsiella pneumoniae, urinary tract infections, antibiotic resistance, biochemical identification, disc diffusion, API 20E