Abstract:
M. catarrhalis has emerged as a genuine pathogen and is now
considered as an important cause of upper respiratory tract
infections in healthy children and elderly people.
The aims of this study to perform phenotypic and genotypic
characterization of M. catarrhalis isolated from Sudanese patients
with lower respiratory tract infection and otitis media.
Four handerds Samples were collected from patients with upper
and
lower
conventional
respiratory
cultural,
tract
infections
identification,
and
and
subjected
sensitivity
for
testing
procedures. Positive M. catarrhalis isolates were confirmed by
polymerase
chain
reaction
(PCR)
technique.
Β-lactamase
production was inspected for each isolate using nitrocefin disks.
Beta lactamase positive M. catarrhalis isolates were examined for
the presence of bro b-lactamase gene using restriction fragment
length polymorphism (RFLP) technique.
Nineteen samples (4.7%) of those collected (400) were found
positive for Moraxella catarrhalis. Of these, 15 isolates (78.9%)
showed typical bands of M. catarrhalis while 4 isolates (21.0%)
were found negative. All of M. catarrhalis isolates were confirmed
as β-lactamase producer. From these 11 isolates (73.3%) were
found positive for a bro-1 gene by RFLP technique whereas 3
isolates (21.4%) were found bro gene negative.
All M. catarrhalis strains isolated in this study produce β-
lactamase enzyme, and carry bro-1 gene. Moraxella catarrhalis
may spread its β- lactamase property to other organisms and lead
to bacterial drug resistance.
