Abstract
Objective: To determine the frequency of BRO beta-lactamase gene among Moraxella catarrhalis strains isolated from individuals with different clinical manifestations in Sudan. Design: Prospective cross-sectional laboratory-based study. Setting: Different hospitals and health centers in Khartoum State, Sudan. Materials and Methods: Fifteen (n = 15) beta lactamase positive M. catarrhalis isolates, isolated from Sudanese patients with different clinical pictures were examined for the presence of BRO beta-lactamase gene using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) technique. Results: Out of 400 patients, M. catarrhalis was isolated from 15 (3.75%) patients. All of the M. catarrhalis isolates were confirmed as beta-lactamase producer, from which 11 isolates (73.3%) were positive for a BRO-1 gene using RFLP, whereas 4 isolates (23.7%) were BRO negative. Conclusion: The majority of beta-lactamase gene of Moraxella catarrhalis in Sudan is BRO-1 gene. No BRO-2 gene was detected in this study; hence, the resistant phenomenon of Sudanese isolates of M. catarrhalis may attribute to BRO-1 gene.