Molecular Characterization and Drug Resistance Pattern of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated from Poultry Meat and Meat Products.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is a multidrug-resistant (MDR) environment associated microorganism that causes infections in animals and human. The present study aimed to determine antibiotic susceptibility patterns and molecular characteristics of P. aeruginosa. The molecular typing of P. aeruginosa isolates was also performed. Poultry meat and meat product samples (n=110) were collected. The samples were inoculated on MacConkey and cetrimide agar for cultural identification and isolation. Gram staining and biochemical tests were performed for confirmation. The confirmed isolates of P. aeruginosa were then used for antibiotic susceptibility testing against commonly used antibiotics including meropenem, amikacin, aztreonam, azithromycin, enrofloxacin, and gentamicin. The virulence genes including exoU, exoS, lasR, rhlR, algD, pslD, and blaTEM were detected in selected MDR isolates of P. aeruginosa. Among the poultry meat samples, P. aeruginosa was more prevalent (50%) in fresh meat samples than others [frozen meat (40%) and meat products (8%)]. Confirmed isolates were Gram-negative, catalase positive, oxidase positive, beta-hemolytic, and citrate-positive while colorless growth on MacConkey's agar and green color growth on cetrimide agar was observed. In antibiotic sensitivity testing, results indicated that in poultry meat and meat product isolates, all P. aeruginosa isolates were highly resistant to azithromycin (83%). High resistance rate was also observed for aztreonam (67%), gentamicin (58%) and enrofloxacin (50%) and all P. aeruginosa isolates were highly sensitive to meropenem (84%) followed amikacin (75%). In molecular detection of virulence genes, poultry meat samples, exoU, algD, and their genes showed comparable prevalence (80%). The prevalence of drug resistance genes in P. aeruginosa from poultry meat samples was as follows; blaTEM (95%), tetR (0%), exoU (25%), exoS (30%), algD (80%), pslD (85%), lasR (85%) and rhlR (80%). In summary, the presence of virulent genes in P. aeruginosa isolates enables them to harbor antibiotic resistance and acts as an MDR public health pathogen with the potential to transfer to humans via the food chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]