Speakers
Description
Introduction
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) is ubiquitous pathogen capable of surviving the adverse conditions on contaminated sites and can be a source of colonization in the environment. It’s an important nosocomial pathogenic agent characterized by an intrinsic resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents which can develop high-level multidrug resistance. Although, existing studies in Morocco have predominantly addressed changes in clinical Pa strains, there is limited information available regarding genomic findings for environmental Pa. Therefore, in an effort to find an effective strategy to eliminate infections, it is essential to focus on expanding Pa strain collections and origins in Morocco.
Materiel and methods
The collection study concern 57 Pa isolates isolated and characterized from 200 environment water samples collected during the period between January to December 2021. The identification of these environmental Pa isolates was carried out using MALDI-TOF. The Antimicrobial susceptibility was conducted using disk diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton (Bio-Rad) agar according to EUCAST 2021 guidelines and was further confirmed accurately by VITEK® system (BIOMERIEUX). Carbapenemase production was examined phenotypically using the Biochemical Test Carba NP® rapid diagnostic technique (Rapidec®) and the immunological Carba NG® test (NG.BIOTECH®). Short-read next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed using Illumina DNA Prep kit for sequencing libraries preparation (The NextSeq S500 technology). Bioinformatic analysis were have been conducted through online platforms containing genomic analysis tools. These platforms provide tools for tasks such as aligning sequences, annotating genomes, and other genomic analyses.
Results
Among 57 environmental Pa isolates, 10 were selected by their interesting resistance profile, 20% were carbapenem resistant Pa (CRPa). The phenotypic detection of two CRPa strains of environmental origin was negative. The in-depth examination of your genetic results unveils a complex web of resistance and virulence in environmental strains of Pa. The absence of carbapenemases in the two environmental strains of Pa, suggests that resistance to carbapenems in these isolates does not stem from the presence of these specific enzymes. The detection of resistance genes such as OXA-846, OXA-488, and OXA-50 suggests remarkable diversity diversity of mechanisms of resistance to these antibiotics in the environmental context. Concerning virulence genes, the identification of crucial factors, such as those involved in quorum sensing (Las and Rhl systems), remains pivotal. The identification of crucial factors, such as those involved in quorum sensing (Las and Rhl systems), remains pivotal. The genetic profile of these strains suggests a distinctive combination of virulence-associated genes, including the potential production of phenazine indicated by the presence of phenazine-associated genes like phzF1. The detection of genes linked to biofilm formation, such as algD, indicates a potential for chronic infections. Additionally, the identification of flagellar genes (fliC, flgE) and pili genes (pilA-H) highlights the strains' capability for motility and adhesion, crucial for successful colonization and invasion.
Conclusion
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first molecular characterization of environmental Pa isolates in Morocco. The findings emphasize the urgent of infection control measures and the development of targeted strategies to contain the spread of these highly resistant pathogens and limit their cross-transmission to the environment.
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