Population Structure of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Five Mediterranean Countries
Author Information
Author(s): Maatallah Makaoui, Cheriaa Jihane, Backhrouf Amina, Iversen Aina, Grundmann Hajo, Do Thuy, Lanotte Philippe, Mastouri Maha, Elghmati Mohamed Salem, Rojo Fernando, Mejdi Snoussi, Giske Christian G.
Primary Institution: Laboratoire d'Analyse, Traitement et Valorisation des Polluants de l'Environnement et des Produits, Faculté de Pharmacie, Monastir, Tunisia
Hypothesis
The study aims to explore the genetic structure of Pseudomonas aeruginosa populations and evaluate the role of recombination in shaping this structure.
Conclusion
The study confirms that Pseudomonas aeruginosa has a non-clonal epidemic population structure, particularly dominated by the CC235 clone, which is often associated with multidrug resistance.
Supporting Evidence
- 52 multidrug resistant strains were identified among the isolates.
- Serotype O11 was the most prevalent, found in 35.1% of the isolates.
- MLST identified 70 sequence types among the 110 strains analyzed.
- Recombination was found to play a significant role in the genetic diversity of the population.
- CC235 was identified as a major clonal complex associated with multidrug resistance.
Takeaway
Scientists studied bacteria from five countries to see how they change and spread. They found that one type of bacteria is very common and can resist many medicines.
Methodology
The study used pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, serotyping, PCR for virulence genes, and multi-locus sequence typing on bacterial isolates.
Potential Biases
The MLST database may be skewed towards isolates with specific resistance types or from particular regions.
Limitations
The study may not represent all Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains globally, as it focuses on isolates from specific Mediterranean countries.
Participant Demographics
Isolates were collected from clinical and environmental sources across Tunisia, Libya, Spain, Italy, and France.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0001
Confidence Interval
95% CI 4.7–13.7
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website