Escherichia coli
isolates resistant to ceftazidime isolated in the University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, between the years 1998 and 2000 were studied for extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production. All strains were analysed phenotypically and genotypically and found to be ESBL-producing organisms harbouring SHV-5 β-lactamase. This was confirmed by PCR-SSCP and nucleotide sequencing of the blaSHV amplified gene. As there was no evidence of ESBL activity in
E. coli prior to this, coupled with the fact that there was a predominance of SHV-5 β-lactamases in
Klebsiella pneumoniae
isolates in UMMC, we postulate that the
E. coli obtained the SHV-5 β-lactamase genes by plasmid transfer from the ESBL-producing
K. pneumoniae.
