The Prevalence of some Heavy Metal Resistance Genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated from Hospital Environments

Abstract

Metal resistance genes were phenotyped in a group of 31 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains gathered from medical facilities, such as clinical and environmental samples. The strains were evaluated for resistance based on their origin and the likelihood of exposure to heavy metals and chemicals. To determine the presence of metal resistance-encoding genes, PCR was conducted using specific primers for copA, copB, czcA, and merA. Positive amplification signals were obtained for copA, copB, and czcA genes in all 5 (100.0%) strains gathered from clinical samples, while the merA gene was detected in only 40% of strains found in clinical specimens. Metal resistance genes were found in all 7 (100.00%) environmental sample isolates for czcA and in 6 (85.7%) for copA and copB. Unfortunately, none of the environmental isolate amplified with merA. The current isolates containing resistance-encoding genes suggest a possible correlation to gaining resistance traits from external determinants.