Profile of antibiotic sensitivity pattern and detection some virulence gene of bacteria isolated from patients with chronic bacterial prostatitis in Hilla city and its suburbs

This study aimed to evaluate the spectrum of bacterial pathogens responsible for chronic bacterial prostatitis among patients from Babylon Province and Al-Mahawel District, Iraq, and to assess their antimicrobial resistance patterns as well as the prevalence of selected virulence genes. A total of 150 bacterial isolates were recovered from urine cultures, expressed prostatic secretions, and post-massage urine samples. Patients were categorized into three age groups, with individuals aged 40–60 years representing the largest group (83 patients). The results showed that Staphylococcus aureus was the predominant Gram-positive pathogen, accounting for 73 of 150 isolates (48.66%), followed by Streptococcus pyogenes with 5 isolates (3.33%). Among Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli was the most frequently isolated species, accounting for 48 isolates (32%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9 isolates; 6%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (5 isolates; 3.33%), Proteus mirabilis (4 isolates; 2.66%), and Enterobacter aerogenes (2 isolates; 2%). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that S. aureus exhibited the highest resistance to cefotaxime (97.27%), followed by ceftriaxone (95.9%) and penicillin (93.16%). In contrast, gentamicin showed the greatest antibacterial activity, with a susceptibility rate of 94.52%, followed by imipenem (93.15%) and vancomycin (91.78%). Molecular analysis of biofilm-associated genes demonstrated that 76% of S. aureus isolates carried the icaA gene, whereas the icaD gene was detected in 66% of the isolates. These findings highlight the high prevalence of multidrug-resistant pathogens in chronic bacterial prostatitis and emphasize the importance of molecular characterization in guiding effective therapeutic strategies.