Occurrence of virulence genes and carbapenemase genes in multidrug resistant clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Hira Ahsan; Bilal Aslam; Zeeshan Nawaz; Muhammad Zishan Ahmad; Riaz Hussain; Rasheeha Naveed; Asma Baig; Farid Shokry Ataya; Dalia Fouad; Abu Baker Siddique

doi:10.3855/jidc.21063

Occurrence of virulence genes and carbapenemase genes in multidrug resistant clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Authors

Hira Ahsan Institute of Microbiology, Government College University, Faisalabad, 38000 Pakistan https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8327-6851
Bilal Aslam Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University Buraydah Saudi Arabia
Zeeshan Nawaz Institute of Microbiology, Government College University, Faisalabad, 38000 Pakistan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4673-2579
Muhammad Zishan Ahmad Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi 46300, Pakistan. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2643-9049
Riaz Hussain Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
Rasheeha Naveed Institute of Microbiology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9057-1905
Asma Baig Institute of Microbiology, Government College University, Faisalabad, 38000 Pakistan
Farid Shokry Ataya Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, PO Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Dalia Fouad Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, PO Box 22452, Riyadh 11495, Saudi Arabia
Abu Baker Siddique Institute of Microbiology, Government College University, Faisalabad, 38000 Pakistan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8589-2292

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.21063

Keywords:

Multi-drug resistant, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, virulence factors, exo-enzymes, carbapenemase

Abstract

Introduction: Multi-drug resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains with virulence characteristics have high morbidity and mortality rates. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of antibiotic resistance, virulence factors, and carbapenemase genes in clinical samples.

Methodology: 400 clinical samples (200 UTI+200 wound samples) were collected from hospitalized patients, targeting P. aeruginosa.

Results: Out of 400 samples, 162 (40%) were found positive for P. aeruginosa, and they revealed significant resistance, with 55% classified as multidrug-resistant. Ceftazidime and Imipenem showed the highest resistance rate. Notably, 90% isolates were resistant to Tobramycin and Amikacin, while only 15-25% of isolates were sensitive to several antibiotics. The samples showed that 101 isolates (62% of the total) had the algD gene. Of these, 78% were found to be resistant to multiple drugs. Carbapenemase gene prevalence varied, with IMP (77.27%) being the most common, followed by TEM (63.63%) and NDM (43.18%). The detected exo enzyme genes in 67.9%-88.88% of isolates, with toxA being the most prevalent at 88.88%. Wound isolates showed higher virulence gene frequencies compared to urine isolates.

Conclusions: The misuse/overuse of antibiotics, poor hygiene, and errors of health care personnel were the main factors that significantly increased the prevalence of MDR P. aeruginosa. Hospitals should craft and implement a specific control strategy to reduce the distribution of MDR P. aeruginosa. The MDR isolates expressed exoenzymes-encoding genes as compared to the drug-susceptible isolates. The prevalence of these virulence genes was higher in wound isolates as compared to UTIs. This study indicates that exoenzymes-encoding genes are associated with drug resistance in P. aeruginosa.

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Published

2026-02-28

How to Cite

Ahsan H, Aslam B, Nawaz Z, Ahmad MZ, Hussain R, Naveed R, Baig A, Ataya FS, Fouad D, Siddique AB (2026) Occurrence of virulence genes and carbapenemase genes in multidrug resistant clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Infect Dev Ctries 20:229–236. doi: 10.3855/jidc.21063

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Vol. 20 No. 02: February 2026

Section

Original Articles

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