Prevalence of Escherichia coli carrying a gene encoding ESBLs in patients with common infectious diseases visiting primary health care centres in some provinces and cities of Vietnam

Abstract

The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of E. coli carrying the gene encoding ESBLs in patients with common diseases visiting primary health care centres in 8 provinces of the Northern region (Ha Noi, Ha Nam, Hai Duong, Bac Ninh), the Central region (Thua Thien - Hue, Khanh Hoa), and the Southern region (Can Tho, Ben Tre) of Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was implemented on patients with symptoms of diarrhea, urinary tract infections, skin infections, and respiratory infections. The study used questionnaires to collect epidemiological information and samples to culture, isolate and test E. coli carrying genes encoding ESBLs by PCR technique. The results showed that the percentage of E. coli bacteria carrying genes encoding ESBLs was relatively high (57.4%), the highest rate was in E. coli bacteria on patients with diarrhea (65.4%), followed by urinary tract infections (22.1%), pneumonia (8.82%) and skin infections (3.68%). The rate of co-infection with two genes accounted for 40.9%. The TEM gene was dominant (88.2%), followed by the CTX-M gene (51%). Different types of specimens were also found to have a different rate of carrying this gene. E. coli isolated in the Southern region has a lower risk of carrying genes encoding antibiotic-resistant ESBL, only 42% of the Nothern region’s rates (RR=0.42, p<0.001). Families that used antibiotics also had a higher rate of being infected with bacteria carrying genes encoding ESBLs than families that did not use antibiotics.