Klebsiella spp. are Enterobacteriaceae frequently isolated from pathological specimens during urinary tract infections, bloodstream infection, and pus. They are becoming more and more resistant to antibiotics and challenging treatment options. β-lactamases are a great variety of enzymes capable of inducing resistance to βlactams. The objective of this study was to identify extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL) genes in Klebsiella spp. strains isolated from various specimens in Lomé, Togo.

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... : Sixty-four strains of Klebsiella spp. were isolated from different pathological specimens. They were then further characterized and tested against 3 rd generation cephalosporin (ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime) and aztreonam. The detection of bla TEM , bla SHV and bla CTX-M was performed on these strains using simplex and multiplex PCR techniques. Results: Fifty five (85.94%) Klebsiella pneumoniae and 9 (14.06%) Klebsiella oxytoca were isolated. These strains derived from urine (n=33; 51.56%), vaginal swabs (n=21; 32.81%), pus (n=8; 12.5%) and sperm samples (n=2; 3.13%). All strains were resistant to cefepime. The resistance rate to other β-lactams was 29.69% (19/64) for piperacillin-tazobactam, 23.08% (12/52) for cefoxitin and 1.56% (1/64) for imipenem. Other inactive antibiotics were trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole 96.72% (59/61), doxycycline 92.06% (58/63), ciprofloxacin 90.63% (58/64), nalidixic acid 80.95% (51/63), chloramphenicol 77.42% (48/62) and gentamicin 76.69% (51/64). Amikacin and fosfomycin remained the most active antibiotics with 1.56% (1/64) and 4.69% (3/64) resistance rates respectively. ESBL genes were detected in 63/64 (98.44%) strains. TEM/SHV/CTX-M was predominant 61.90% (39/63) followed by TEM/SHV 20.63% (13/63), SHV/CTX-M 11.11% (7/63), TEM/SHV 4.76% (3/63) and TEM 1.59% (1/63). Conclusion: ESBL genes occur more by combination 96.88% (62/64) than singularly 1.59% (1/63). These strains were also very resistant to quinolones and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. These findings are of high importance in a medical and scientific perspective and may motivate decision makers towards a better monitoring and control of antimicrobial resistance in Togo. able to inactivate penicillins (amoxicillin, ampicillin, ticarcillin) hence the name penicillinases narrow spectrum [2] . From the 80s, plasmid mediated extended-spectrum-β-lactamases (ESBLs) have been described and confer resistance to penicillins, oxyimino cephalosporins (cefotaxime, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime, cefepime) and monobactams (aztreonam) [3] [4] [5] . These ESBLs are divided into several groups; the main ones are the derivated of TEM and SHV groups and CTX-M [6]. In recent years, the CTX-M ESBL spread around the world and have been described in the commensal flora and also in hospital-acquired and community infections with a tendency to supplant the first ESBL groups TEM and SHV [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] .