Abstract

Klebsiella pneumoniae is gram-negative nonmotile bacilli that inhabit the gastrointestinal, and respiratory tracts. They opportunistically cause infections once breaching these barriers into internal tissues or when immunity is compromised. Throughout the years, K. pneumoniae has become multidrug-resistant (MDR) by acquiring the genes for various antibiotic resistance mechanisms. One of which is the production of extended-spectrum- βeta-lactamase (ESBL) enzymes, which confer resistance against beta-lactam antibiotics such as penicillins and cephalosporins. ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae (ESBL-KP) is a notorious MDR bacteria, causing increasingly severe infections and leaving few treatment options available, leading to high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Numerous reports on ESBL-KP in Saudi Arabia have come out in the past two decades, most of which came from the central region, whereas the least reports came from the southern region. These reports evidently demonstrate the exponential rise in ESBL-KP rates in Saudi Arabia, and the spread of antibiotic resistance genes among K. pneumoniae strains in healthcare facilities where occasional outbreaks of ESBL-KP occur, and in communities as well. In this review, we will examine these reports to determine the prevalence and dissemination of ESBL-KP in Saudi Arabia, as well as the associated antibiotic susceptibility patterns, resistance mechanisms, and molecular characterization of ESBL enzymes.