Prevalence of K. pneumoniae and K. oxytoca in meat and meat products was estimated in the present study. Four-hundred seventy samples of meat and meat products. (40 imported frozen minced meat,35 imported frozen meat, 25 local meat, 24 Local minced meat, 34 kofta, 46 sausage, 37 hot dog, 29 canned beef, 106 luncheon, 43 basterma, 51 beef burger) were
collected randomly from different retail shops. The prevalence of K. oxytoca was higher in meat (9.7%) than in meat products (7.9%), while the rate of isolation of K. pneumoniae was the same in meat and meat products (11.3%). The isolation rate was higher in imported minced meat (10% for K. oxytoca and 15% for K. pneumoniae) in comparison with the local minced meat (K. oxytoca 8.3% and K.pneumoniae12.5%). All samples of canned beef were negative. The highest isolation rate among the meat product samples was from luncheon (11.3% K. oxytoca and 16.0% K. pneumoniae) and basterma (9.3% K. oxytoca and13.9% K.[pneumoniae) and the lowest was in beef burger (3.9% K. oxytoca and7.8% K. pneumoniae). Twelve K. pneumoniae and K. oxytoca isolates were investigated for antimicrobial resistance against β-lactams groups of antibiotics. The resistance of the isolates to cephalothin was 100%, ampicillin 91.7%, cefpodoxime 75%, cefotaxime 66.7%,
sulfamethazole 41.7%, ceftazidime 33.3%, ceftriaxone16.7%, imipenem and cefepime 8.3%. The 12 isolates of Klebsiellae (5K. oxytoca and 7 K. pneumoniae) were tested for PEH gene (gene of identification of K. oxytoca) and β-lactam resistance genes (shv, tem, ctx-m). The shv gene was detected in 12 (100%) of K. pneumoniae and K. oxytoca isolates, tem gene
was detected in 11 (91.7%) isolates (5 isolates of K. oxytoca and 6 isolates of K. pnemoniae); while ctx-m gene was detected in 9(75%) isolates (4 isolates of K. oxytoca and 6 isolates of K. pnemoniae).