title: The occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes in drug resistant Bacteroides fragilis isolates from Groote Schuur Hospital, South Africa.
abstract: Bacteroides fragilis, an anaerobic gut commensal and opportunistic pathogen, is a leading cause of anaerobic abscesses and bacteraemias. Treatment of infections is complicated by the emergence of resistance to several of the antibiotics used in the clinical setting. Genetic analysis of 23 B. fragilis isolates found that none of the metronidazole resistant strains carried the nimA-J genes, and no cfxA or ermF genes were detected. All of the tetracycline resistant isolates contained the tetQ gene and were sensitive to tigecycline. The cfiA gene was found in 3 of the strains, one of which was imipenem resistant and contained an upstream IS4351 insertion sequence. Another resistant strain had a unique G to A substitution in the promoter region of the cfiA gene, while the third was imipenem sensitive. Thirty percent of the isolates contained at least one plasmid, however, tetQ gene was located on the chromosome and not on any of the plasmids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meggersee
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. Electronic address: Valerie.abratt@uct.ac.za.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Abratt
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D001442:Bacteroides Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D001441:Bacteroides fragilis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001483:Base Sequence; D003428:Cross Infection; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D013019:South Africa; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001618:beta-Lactamases; C063912:carbapenemase
keywords: Antibiotic resistance; Bacteroides; Bacteroides fragilis