Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Moraxella catarrhalis Isolated from Sudanese Patients with lower Respiratory Tract Infection and Otitis media

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.