presence of bla-ampc (fox) gene in klebsiella pneumoniae isolates collected from different clinical specimens of hospitalized patients in north of iran

Background: klebsiella pneumoniae (kp) is a major opportunistic pathogen responsible for diverse clinical infections. research on blaampc genes is widespread; however, data on the prevalence of blaampc (fox) and its impact on pneumonia isolates from hospitalized patients are limited. this study aims to evaluate the antimicrobial resistance profiles and presence of blafox in kp strains recovered from hospitalized patients.materials and methods: the kp isolates were collected from clinical specimens (urine, blood, sputum, wound, and cerebrospinal fluid) of 100 hospitalized patients in mazandaran province, north of iran. antibiotic susceptibility test was performed to assess resistance patterns. the combined disk test (cdt) was used to identify ampc producers. pcr analysis was conducted to detect the presence of the blafox gene among cefoxitin-resistant isolates.results: resistance rates were highest for aztreonam (77%), cefotaxime (69%), and piperacillin (68%). base on antibiogram results, 61 cefoxitin-resistant isolates were detected among the tested isolates, of which 26 were cdt positive. pcr data indicated that 22.95% of strains harboring the blafox gene. conclusion: the elevated antibiotic resistance in kp strains underscores the need for effective antimicrobial stewardship and surveillance to manage and prevent the spread of resistant isolates.