Molecular detection of oprL gene in Pseudomonas aeruginosa associated with surgical site infections in Bauchi, Nigeria

Onyi, Titus; DOKO, Hassan Muhammad; ELLA, ELIJAH

doi:10.21608/mid.2024.261508.1750

Molecular detection of oprL gene in Pseudomonas aeruginosa associated with surgical site infections in Bauchi, Nigeria

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Community Medicine, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria

² Department of Microbiology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

10.21608/mid.2024.261508.1750

Abstract

Background: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) associated with surgical site infections (SSIs) is often multidrug-resistant and associated with delayed wound healing, morbidity, and deaths. Molecular detection of P. aeruginosa is often required for specific diagnosis for optimal care. Although SSIs are prevalent in North-East Nigeria, there is a lack of studies on molecular confirmation targeting virulence genes. This study aimed to isolate and characterize P. aeruginosa isolates from surgical wound swabs and then confirm them with PCR assay with the oprL target gene. Materials and Methods: The study was a cross-sectional study that analyzed 250 post-surgical wound swabs (n = 250) from two hospitals in Bauchi State, Nigeria. The inclusion criteria include fever and purulent pus from the incision site within 30 days of surgery. The conventional analyses were bacterial colonial morphology on Cetrimide agar, Gram staining, and biochemical characterization. The PCR assay was conducted with oprL as the target gene. Results: aeruginosa was serially identified in 5 out of 250 swabs, with a prevalence of 2.0%. All the isolates had the oprL gene with an amplicon size of 504 bp. Conclusion: The prevalence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates associated with SSIs was 2.0% from the traditional assays. The PCR assay of the isolates detected the oprL gene in all the isolates. The study confirms the increasing evidence of the specificity of the oprL virulence factor for detecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa. associated with SSIs.It also recommends further studies on the antibiogram assays associated with P.aeruginosa with the oprL gene to optimize the treatment of SSIs.

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