antimicrobial activity of thymus vulgaris essential oil against multidrug-resistant klebsiella pneumoniaee carrying bla ndm gene

According to the world health organization, klebsiella pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen that is responsible for a range of infections, including urinary tract infections (utis). this particular species is considered a high-priority concern due to the worldwide issue of antimicrobial resistance. medicinal plants and their essential oils have always had a variety of uses for different purposes, such as treating diseases worldwide. therefore, they have a high economic value. the essential oil of thymus vulgaris was assessed as a replacement for antibiotic growth promoters in the diet of quail chicks and in vitro tests. the study aimed to investigate the antibacterial effects of thymus vulgaris essential oils on multidrug-resistant klebsiella pneumoniae clinically isolated, analyze the antibiotic resistance profile and clinical treatment, and the pathogenicity of the ndm-positive gene klebsiella pneumoniae. a total of 127 clinical specimens believed to be klebsiella pneumoniae, including sputum, blood, urine, burn, wound, and stool swabs, were obtained from both genders and different age groups. the samples were streaked on different agars, and the bacterial growth was identified by using biochemical tests and the vitek®2 system to confirm it. the frequency of antibiotic susceptibility was determined using the vitek®2 system.out of 127 clinical samples, k. pneumoniae was recorded in 50 (39%) cases. the highest isolation rate of k. pneumoniae was in urine 17 (34%). furthermore, females were more affected by 32 (64%) with k. pneumoniae than males 18 (36%), the results showed that klebsiella pneumoniae isolates were highly resistant to ampicillin (100%), and more sensitive to thymus vulgaris. molecular detection of the carbapenemase virulence gene, bla ndm was recorded (32%, 16/50). the significant effect of thyme essential oil as an antibacterial agent against k. pneumoniae has made it a promising natural agent for combating microbial infections.