JOBIMB, 2018, Vol 6, No 2, 15-18 - 15 - Effectiveness of Double Discs Synergy Test in the Confirmation of Extended Spectrum β-lactamase (ESβL) Production Garba L. 1 *, Yusha’u M. 2 , Abdullahi M.M 1 , Abubakar M.U. 3 , Inuwa A.B 2 , Isa S 1 , Adamu M.T 1 1 Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Gombe State University, PMB 127, Tudun Wada Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria. 2 Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bayero University, Kano, PMB 3011, Kano State, Nigeria. 3 Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Gombe State University, PMB 127, Tudun Wada Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria. *Corresponding author: Dr. Garba L Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Gombe State University, PMB 127, Tudun Wada Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria. Email: lagarpak@gmail.com INTRODUCTION The extended spectrum beta lactamases (ESβLs) are enzymes which have emanated from bacteria upon exposure to penicillins antibiotics. These bacteria have become resistant to penicillins (Beta lactam antibiotics) and their relatives such as cephalosporins (extended spectrum beta lactam antibiotics). The enzymes represent the major source of multidrug resistance in gram negative bacteria. Different classes of ESβLs have been described and the notable ones amongst them are Sulfhydril variable gene (SHV-2) and Temoniera gene (TEM-3) discovered in Germany since 1982 and 1987, respectively. Subsequently, more subtypes were descended from SHV-2 and TEM-3. Other important and widely distributed ESβL phenotype discovered worldwide in Escherichia coli are called cefotaximases (CTX-M). Phenotypic study confirmed five major groups of CTX-M with over 100 diverse CTX-M types [1, 2]. HISTORY Received: 11 th July 2018 Received in revised form: 27 th of Oct 2018 Accepted: 5 th of Nov 2018 ABSTRACT Extended spectrum beta lactamases (ESβLs) are enzymes which have evolved from bacteria upon exposure to penicillins antibiotics. Such bacteria have developed resistance to Beta lactam antibiotics and their relatives such as cephalosporins (extended spectrum beta lactam antibiotics). The enzymes represent the major source of multidrug resistance in gram negative bacteria. Different methods of confirming ESβL production from bacteria have been described. Most of these methods suggest screening the test isolates in accordance with decrease in susceptibility to extended-spectrum cephalosporins in preliminary susceptibility testing and use any of the available confirmatory tests for ESβL production. However, it is not clear which confirmatory tests are the most sensitive and which extended-spectrum cephalosporins should be tested. In our previous study, disc replacement method was used to detect ESβLs production among Gram negative isolates from Gombe specialist hospital. In this report, the effectiveness of double disc synergy test (DDST) in the confirmation of ESβL- production was studied from the clinical isolates obtained from this hospital for the first time to the best of our knowledge. A total of two hundred and fifty (250) bacteria screened to be suspected ESβL-producers were subjected to confirmatory test using double disc synergy test (DDST). The method effectively confirmed ninety six (96) isolates to be ESβL-producers. Esherichia coli had the highest occurrence (26, 27.08%), followed by Klebsiella pneumonia (20, 20.83%), Providencia spp. (14, 14.58%), Morganella morganii (12, 12.5%), Yersinia enterocolitica (6, 6.25%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Shigella spp. and Salmonella paratyphi A each with a total occurrence of 4(4.17%), Citrobacter freundii, Serratia marcescens, and Salmonella typhi each with an occurrence value of 2 (2.08%) while Proteus vulgaris was found to be negative ESβL- producer. In conclusion, the DDST was found to be effective in the confirmation of ESβL-production. KEYWORDS extended spectrum β-lactamase (esβl) double disc synergy test (ddst) bacterial isolates penicillins cephalosporins JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY, MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY Website: http://journal.hibiscuspublisher.com/index.php/JOBIMB/index