Molecular Identification and Antibiotic Resistance Profile of Some Pseudomonas aeruginosa Clinical Isolates

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative, opportunistic bacterium being increasingly recognized as the causative agent of hospital-acquired infection, especially in immunocompromised patients. The bacterium is well known for its environmental persistence and multidrug resistance (MDR). This study aimed to characterize the antibacterial persistence profiles and genetic diversity of P. aeruginosa isolates from clinical settings in Sulaymaniyah city, Iraq. Twenty-eight suspected P. aeruginosa isolates were collected from hospitals and private laboratories from October 2024 to January 2025. The collected bacteria were identified with standard microbiological procedures, the VITEK 2 system, and confirmation through 16S RNA sequencing. Ten antibiotics were tested following the guidelines of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute for antibiotic susceptibility testing. 12 out of 28 collected isolates were confirmed as P. aeruginosa. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing indicated that resistance to Imipenem, Ceftazidime, and Cefepime was seen in 66.7% of the isolates (MDR isolates), while Ceftolozane/Tazobactam had the lowest resistance rate (41.7%). It is observed that 66.7% of isolates subjected to MDR show resistance to three or more antibiotic classes. There is a high prevalence of P. aeruginosa in clinical isolates that are resistant to antibiotics. These results underscore the urgent need for improved antimicrobial stewardship programs and the development of alternative treatment options to address this rising public health concern. Through media genomics and molecular methods, reliable identification has been enhanced, which signifies the importance of both studies.