title: Faecal carriage of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing bacteria in the community.
abstract: We determined the faecal carriage of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-(ESBL)-producing bacteria in the community in Saudi Arabia. A total of 716 faecal specimens (from 505 healthy individuals and 211 community outpatients) were screened for ESBL using the double-disk synergy test and confirmed by the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute combined disk method. We found 91 (12.7%) isolates were ESBL-producers. Of these, 87 (95.6%) were Escherichia coli and 4 (4.4%) Klebsiella pneumoniae. A similar rate of faecal carriage of ESBL-producers was demonstrated in community outpatients and healthy individuals: 62 (12.3%) healthy persons and 29 (13.7%) outpatients. We conclude that the community could be a reservoir of these ESBL-producing bacteria and enzymes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Almana General Hospital, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. aakader@doctor.com
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kader
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kamath
mesh_terms: D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D002439:Cefotaxime; D002442:Ceftazidime; D018550:Cephalosporin Resistance; D002510:Cephalosporinase; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D007710:Klebsiella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000201:enzymology; D008403:Mass Screening; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D018440:beta-Lactam Resistance; D001618:beta-Lactamases
chemical_list: D002442:Ceftazidime; D002510:Cephalosporinase; D001618:beta-Lactamases; D002439:Cefotaxime