Antimicrobial resistance pattern, genetic distribution of ESBL genes, biofilm-forming potential, and virulence potential of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from the burn patients in Tehran Hospitals, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: according to the studies performed, researchers considered Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) as the major cause of infectious diseases like burn and wound infection that makes it one of the most threatening opportunistic pathogens. The present research aimed at investigating antimicrobial resistance, biofilm-forming abilities, and frequency of the genes contributed to bla_VEB-1, bla_PER-1, and bla_PSE-1 genes and virulence of P. aeruginosa separated from the burn infections in Tehran, Iran.

Methods: we evaluated the resistance of 156 P. aeruginosa isolates to fifteen antimicrobial agents and generation of the ESBL and MBL enzymes phenotypically based on the CLSI instructions. Moreover, the biofilm forming potential has been assayed in a microtitre plate. In addition, PCR has been used to examine the frequency of virulence-and biofilm-related genes. Furthermore, the PCR of bla_VEB-1, bla_PSE-1, and bla_PER-1 genes has been amplified.

Results: according to the results, 72.2% of P. aeruginosa isolates have been MDR and 35.6% and 55.5% have been positive for producing MBL and ESBL, respectively. Moreover, 67.8% have been positive for forming biofilms. It has been found that 15.3% isolates are ESBL-positive; from among them 60% belong to the females and 40% belong to the males. In addition, one and two isolates respectively harbored the bla_VEB-1 and bla_PER-1 genes.

Conclusion: the present research outputs indicated the higher frequency of the multi drug resistance and higher percent of the virulence-related genes in the clinical P. aeruginosa isolates in Iran.