Prevalence and molecular characterization of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Background And Objectives: Reports on extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) production by Enterobacteriaceae, and especially in Klebsiella pneumoniae, are few in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, we determined the prevalence of ESBL in K pneumoniae from Riyadh and characterized the predominant beta-lactamase gene in these isolates.

Methods: A total of 400 K pneumoniae samples were isolated from two hospitals in Riyadh during 2007 and screened for production of ESBL using ESBL-E-strips and combined disk methods.