Phenotypic and Molecular Characterization of CTX-M Type B-Lactamases in Gram Negative Bacterial Strains Isolated from Hospitals, Lahore, Pakistan.

One of the principal mechanisms that contribute resistance to antibiotics is the production of extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) in Gram negative bacteria. In the present study, molecular methods were used to evaluate the prevalence of the extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-encoding CTX-M gene among Gram negative bacterial strains. In total, 148 clinical samples were collected from different tertiary care hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan.