Characterization of β-lactamase and virulence genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from clinical, environmental and poultry sources in Bangladesh

The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa are major concerns for public health worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of circulating P. aeruginosa isolated from clinical, environmental and poultry sources in Bangladesh, their antibiotic susceptibility, {beta}-lactamase and virulence gene profiling using standard molecular and microbiology techniques. We collected 110 samples from five different locations, viz., BAU residential area (BAURA; n=15), BAU Healthcare Center (BAUHCC; n = 20), BAU Veterinary Teaching Hospital (BAUVTH; n=22), Poultry Market (PM; n=30) and Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MCCH; n=23). After overnight enrichment in nutrient broth, 89 probable Pseudomonas isolates (80.90%) were screened through selective culture, gram-staining and biochemical tests. Using genus- and species-specific PCR, we confirmed 22 isolates (20.0%) as P. aeruginosa from these samples. Antibiogram profiling revealed that 100.0% P. aeruginosa isolates (n = 22) were multidrug-resistant isolates, showing resistance against Doripenem, Penicillin, Ceftazidime, Cefepime, and Imipenem. Furthermore, resistance to aztreonam was observed in 95.45% isolates. However, P. aeruginosa isolates showed a varying degree of sensitivity against Amikacin, Gentamicin, and Ciprofloxacin. The blaTEM gene was detected in 86.0% isolates, while blaCMY, blaSHV and blaOXA, were detected in 27.0%, 18.0% and 5.0% of the P. aeruginosa isolates, respectively. The algD gene was detected in 32.0% isolates, whereas lasB and exoA genes were identified in 9.0% and 5.0% P. aeruginosa isolates. However, none of the P. aeruginosa isolates harbored exoS gene. Thus, this study provides novel and important data on the resistance and virulence of P. aeruginosa currently circulating in clinical, environmental and poultry environment of Bangladesh. These data provide important insights into the emergence of {beta}-lactamase resistance in P. aeruginosa, highlighting its usefulness in the treatment and control of P. aeruginosa infections in both humans and animals.