Molecular Analysis of Carbapenem Resistant Genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from Baghdad Hospitals

Objectives: This study aimed to molecular investigation of prevalence the carbapenem-resistant genes in P. aeruginosa in isolates collected from Baghdad hospitals.Methods: In a cross-sectional manner, P. aeruginosa were isolated and identified from patients who attended to Hospital in Baghdad city during the period of December 2021 to June 2022. Genotypic characterization of 16SrRNA gene, plasmid profile, exoA gene, carbapenem resistance gene were tested.Results: Diagnosis of P. aeruginosa isolates was confirmed genotypically via the amplification of 16SrRNA gene with 1504 bp by using PCR amplification of genes encoding Ambler class B MBL (blaIMP, blaVIM, IMI, blaNDM, blaSPM-1, and blaGIM), and Ambler class D carbapenemase (blaOXA-23, blaOXA-24, blaOXA-40, blaOXA-48, blaOXA-50, blaOXA-51 and blaOXA-58) were performed. The carbapenem resistant isolates were also evaluated for the presence of class D carbapenemase (blaOXA 50), genes by PCR.Conclusion: This study proved that P. aeruginosa isolated had carbapenem-resistant genes that strongly correlated with antibiotic resistance according to phenotypic and genotypic characterization.