Characterization of klebsiella pneumoniae from fresh vegetables marketed in Puducherry

Multidrug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae is an increasingly difficult problem in India. Carbapenems have been the grounding of drug treatment for serious infections caused by these pathogens and also the carbapenems resistant increasing in other side. Vegetables are known as source of contamination with K. pneumoniae. Raw vegetables are usually consumed in salads and other dishes. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence and characterization of K. pneumoniae in raw vegetables marketed in Puducherry and 100 commonly used salad vegetables (tomato, carrot and cucumber) were collected. Antimicrobial resistance profile, Metallo-beta-lactamases detection, modified Hodge’s test for carbapenemase, Minimum inhibitory concentration for colistin in resistant isolates, and biofilm production on congo red agar were done. A total of 15 antibiotics were tested. Sulfamethoxazole- trimethoprim, norfloxacin and chloramphenicol was displayed 100.0% sensitivity. Ampicillin, Cephalothin, Ciprofloxacin and Tetracycline was produced resistance 34.3%, 45.7%, 66.0% and 22.5%, respectively. About 40.2% isolates were resistant to meropenem, 41.0% to imipenem and 10% were resistant to colistin. None of them were Metallo-beta-lactamases producers. Six isolates showed Modified Hodge’s test positive with dissimilar clonal types. All the isolates (100.0%) were produced biofilm on modified congo red agar.