Prevalence of blaPenA and blaOXA in Burkholderia pseudomallei Isolated from Patients at Sappasitthiprasong Hospital and Their Susceptibility to Ceftazidime and Carbapenems
Marutpong Panya PhD*, Suthinee Thirat MD*, Surasak Wanram PhD*, Pawana Panomket PhD*, Jiraporn Nilsakul BSc**
Affiliation : * College of Medicine and Public Health, Ubon Ratchathani University, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand ** Microbiology Laboratory, Sappasitthiprasong Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand
Background : Burkholderia pseudomallei is a causative agent of melioidosis. Ceftazidime is the preferred drug of choice for
treatment. However, the motility rate is high in endemic areas.
Objective : This study aimed to determine the susceptibility to four different antimicrobial agents and to detect the β-lactamase
genes in B. pseudomallei isolates from patients admitted to Sappasitthiprasong Hospital.
Material and Method: 85 B. pseudomallei isolates from patients admitted to Sappasitthiprasong Hospital between November
2010 and May 2011 were determined for antimicrobial susceptibility by standard disk diffusion and minimum inhibitory
concentration (MIC). Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for the detection of blaPenA and blaOXA in β-
lactamase genes.
Results : Almost all of the clinical isolates of B. pseudomallei were susceptible to ceftazidime and imipenem. Cefatzidime MIC
was <1-16 μg/ml and imipenem MIC was <1-4 μg/ml. The real-time PCR revealed that more than 90% of B. pseudomallei
isolates carried blaPenA and blaOXA.
Conclusion : Although the clinical isolates of B. pseudomallei were susceptible to ceftazidime and imipenem, this study
showed B. pseudomallei had a gene that produced beta-lactamase enzyme and may be poorly effective in the use of beta-
lactam drugs.
Keywords : Burkholderia pseudomallei, Melioidosis, Ceftazidime, β-lactamase, blaPenA
