Therapeutic options for infections caused by Klebsiellapneumoniae strains expressing plasmid-mediated AmpC -lactamases are limited because these organisms are usually resistant to all the -lactam antibiotics, except for cefepime, cefpirome, and the carbapenems. These organisms are a major concern in nosocomial infections.Information on such pathogens is not available from Iraq. Therefore there is an increasing demand to investigate the role of these strains in hospital infections. This book provides the occurrence and diversity of plasmid-mediated AmpC -lactamases in K. pneumoniae isolates...

Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) are the enzymes that hydrolyze a wide variety of β-lactam antibiotics including oxyimino-cephalosporins and monobactams. Infections caused by ESBL-producing strains are increasing in the community and in hospitals. These organisms are typically multi-drug resistant and the risk of inadequate empiric therapy. In Iraq, infections caused by ESBL-producing bacteria have increased dramatically and have become a serious problem nationwide. Therefore, there is an increased demand to determine the distribution of these organisms in community and...

Listeria monocytogenes is recognized worldwide as one of the most important food-borne pathogens of concern for the food industries. It is a ubiquitous microorganism and it is frequently isolated from foods of animal origin, mainly meat and milk products. Because of the importance of L. monocytogenes epidemiology to human health, a number of discriminatory typing methods have been described for this organism. According to available documents, in Iraq there is no information regarding the molecular serotyping studies of L. monocytogenes isolated from animals. Therefore, there is an increase...

Verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli(VTEC) belonging to several different O serotypes, has been associated with watery or bloody diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome. One serotype (O157: H7) is now recognized as an important human pathogen of public health concern. Till now, little information was available on the global prevalence of VTEC of O157 and other serotypes in patients with diarrhea and HUS in Iraq.This book provides a unique data on the prevalence and characterization of VTEC obtained from patients with diarrhea

Quinolones are among the most commonly prescribed antimicrobials because of their broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, which inhibit DNA synthesis by targeting two related but functionally distinct and essential type II topoisomerase, DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV. The quinolone resistance is traditionally mediated by the mutation of chromosomal genes encoding DNA gyrase and/or topoisomerase IV. Plasmid-mediated resistance mechanisms also play a significant role in quinolone resistance. In recent years, a bacterial resistance against the quinolones has increased significantly, and no...