Profiling virulence genes in ceftazidime-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa: A comprehensive study across five hospitals in Iraq

This study addresses the crucial problem of antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a major pathogen in severe skin infections that is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics worldwide. The research was conducted in Iraq and aimed to isolate and identify P. aeruginosa from wound and burn patients, with a particular focus on identifying isolates that are resistant to ceftazidime. Between January and May 2022, a total of 283 samples were collected from five hospitals, leading to the identification of 117 P. aeruginosa isolates. Notably, 35.04% of these isolates were found to be resistant to ceftazidime. The study's crucial findings include the identification of the most common resistance genes, pelF and blaGES, in the resistant isolates using conventional PCR and real-time PCR. Additionally, the researchers performed a detailed sequence analysis of the pelF genes in SE36 isolates that showed a high prevalence of virulence genes. This analysis was conducted using bioinformatics tools. These insights are critical for understanding the resistance patterns of P. aeruginosa in Iraq and developing more effective treatment strategies against this increasingly resistant pathogen.