Abstract
Uropathogenic Klebsiella pneumoniae is considered the most important causes of urinary tract infection, and recently the antibiotic resistance of this pathogen has increased dramatically. The study aims at investigating the prevalence and antibiotic sensitivity of uropathogenic K. pneumoniae among different ages of groups at both genders. 1737 urine specimens were collected from individuals admitted to Zakho emergency hospital from January 2016 until December 2018. K. pneumoniae was identified based on Gram stain, colony characteristics and biochemical tests, and then it was tested for their antibiotic sensitivity. Out of all samples, 1076 (61.9%) showed significant bacterial yield. The UTIs among females (64.3%) were statistically higher than males (46.5%) (P<0.001). The age group of 20-29 years was highly susceptible to UTIs (43%). Among the total UTIs, K. pneumoniae represented 16.2%. K. pneumoniae in males (23.4%)was significantly higher than females (15.4%) (P=0.03).The age group 40-49 years (32.2%) was the highest group that at risk for K. pneumoniae infection. K. pneumoniae was highly susceptible to imipenem (100%) and was highly resistant against cephalothin (90.8%). A high prevalence of UTIs were observed among the age group of 20-29 years and the females had more risk of having UTIs. The males were more susceptible to K. pneumoniae with higher prevalence in the age group of 40-49 years. K. pneumoniae showed high sensitivity toward imipenem and high resistance to cephalothin. More awareness is required in all healthcare sectors for regular surveillance of the use of antimicrobial agents to reduce the resistance rates and to eradicate the pathogens.
