Study of fluoroquinolones resistance genes in Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from clinical sources

Authors

  • Nabil tuwaij University of Kufa, Faculty of Science

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36320/ajb/v18.i2.24061

Keywords:

Acinetobacter baumannii, Qnr gene, Antibacterial agents resistance and PCR

Abstract

Acinetobacter baumannii is a common multidrug-resistant bacteria that causes hospital-acquired illnesses. This research attempted to identify quinolone resistance genes in A. baumannii isolated from various clinical materials, including burns, blood, sputum, urine, and diabetic foot infections, with a distribution of 199 (53%) male and 176 (47%) female subjects. The bacterial culture results indicated that out of 375 specimens, 157 (41.9%) exhibited single growth, 28 (7.4%) displayed mixed growth, and 190 (50.7%) showed no bacterial growth.  This study identified 155 instances (41.33%) of gram-negative bacteria. The Vitek-2 system identified 28 isolates (7.46%) as A. baumannii.

The highest isolation rate occurred in burn patients at 17 (4.53%), followed by 4 (1.07%) isolates from patients with respiratory tract infections, and 3 (0.8%) from blood source records. Diabetic foot infections and urinary tract infections were documented in two instances (0.53%). The antimicrobial susceptibility test results revealed that all 28 (100%) isolates demonstrated resistance to Cefoxitine, Ceftazidime, and Ciprofloxacin. Additionally, 27 (96.42%) of the isolates were resistant to meropenem, while 26 (92.85%) exhibited resistance to tobramycin and Ampicillin-Sulbactam. Concurrently, 89.28% of the isolates were resistant to gentamicin. The PCR analysis results indicated that the qnrA, qnrB, and qnrS genes were identified in 11 (39%), 7 (25%), and 21 (75%) of the A. baumannii isolates, respectively.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

1. Jaber, A. K., Hasan, A. M., & Kkudhaier, S. R. (2025). Phenotypic and genotypic analysis of antibiotic resistance in Acinetobacter spp. isolates in Baghdad, Iraq. Microbes and Infectious Diseases.‏

2. Vázquez-López, R., Solano-Gálvez, S. G., Juárez Vignon-Whaley, J. J., Abello Vaamonde, J. A., Padró Alonzo, L. A., Rivera Reséndiz, A., ... & Barrientos Fortes, T. (2020). Acinetobacter baumannii resistance: a real challenge for clinicians. Antibiotics, 9(4), 205.‏

3. Martinez-Resendez, M. F., Cruz-López, F., Gaona-Chávez, N., Camacho-Ortiz, A., Mercado-Longoria, R., Flores-Treviño, S., ... & Garza-González, E. (2022). The effect of chlorhexidine on Acinetobacter baumannii in intensive care units. Iranian journal of microbiology, 14(1), 15.

4. Ibrahim, S., Al-Saryi, N., Al-Kadmy, I. M., & Aziz, S. N. (2021). Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii as an emerging concern in hospitals. Molecular biology reports, 48(10), 6987-6998.‏

5. Lynch III, J. P., Clark, N. M., & Zhanel, G. G. (2022, February). Infections due to Acinetobacter baumannii–calcoaceticus complex: escalation of antimicrobial resistance and evolving treatment options. In Seminars in respiratory and critical care medicine (Vol. 43, No. 01, pp. 097-124). Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc..‏

6. Kyriakidis, I., Vasileiou, E., Pana, Z. D., & Tragiannidis, A. (2021). Acinetobacter baumannii Antibiotic Resistance Mechanisms. Pathogens, 10(3), 373.

7. Jiang, P., Luo, X., Zhao, J., Sun, J., Su, Z., & Cheng, P. (2025). Evolutionary dynamics and research hotspots of phage applications against Acinetobacter baumannii infections from the past to the new era. Frontiers in Microbiology, 16, 1606351.‏

8. Hu, M., Sun, H., Xu, Y., & Xu, X. (2024). Antimicrobial susceptibility and genetic characteristics of multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates in Northwest China. Frontiers in microbiology, 15, 1293725.‏

9. Kyriakidis, I., Vasileiou, E., Pana, Z. D., & Tragiannidis, A. (2021). Acinetobacter baumannii antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Pathogens, 10(3), 373.

10. Collee, J.G., Miles, R.S., & Watt, B. (1996).Tests for the identification of bacteria. In: Collee, J.G., Fraser, A.G., Marmion, B.P., Simmons, A., eds. Mackie and McCartney practical microbiology. 14th ed. New York: Churchill Livingstone; p. 131-51.

11. Bauer, A. W., W. M. M. Kirby, J. C. Sherris, and M. Turck. 1966. Antibiotic susceptibility testing by a standardized single disk method. Am. J. Clin. Pathol. 36:493-496.

12. CLSI, Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing. (2025). 35th ed. CLSI supplement M100. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute.

13. Jacoby, G. A., Chow, N., & Waites, K. B. (2003). Prevalence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance. Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy, 47(2), 559-562.

14. Alwohaili, D. H.K. & Al-Awade, H. A. R.(2025). Isolation and Identification of Acinetobacter Baumannii from Different Clinical Sources and Determine Antibiotic Resistance in Karbala City. Karbala Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 16(26):12-23.

15. Khan, D. M., Rao, V. I., Moosabba, M. S., MubarakAli, D., & Manzoor, M. (2025). Antimicrobial resistance and prevalence of β-lactamase genes among multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from infected diabetic foot ulcers. Bacteria, 4(2), 24.

16. Saleh, N. T., Yousif, B. M. Y., Mahmood, F. N., Alsammak, E. G., & Saadi, A. M. (2025). Prevalence of Acinetobacter in different clinical samples. Journal of Bioscience and Applied Research, 11(1), 180-189.

17. Yousif Alnakshabandie, W. M., Abdullah, B. H., Khasho, D. A., & Mohammed, L. O. (2024). Multidrug Resistance Profiles of Acinetobacter Baumannii Isolated from Various Clinical Specimens in Duhok City, IRAQ. Ain Shams Medical Journal, 75(4), 967-973.‏

18. Hu, M., Sun, H., Xu, Y., & Xu, X. (2024). Antimicrobial susceptibility and genetic characteristics of multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates in Northwest China. Frontiers in microbiology

20. Blair, Jessica MA, Mark A. Webber, Alison J. Baylay, David O. Ogbolu, and Laura JV Piddock. "Molecular mechanisms of antibiotic resistance." Nature reviews microbiology 13, no. 1 (2015): 42-51.

21. Mshachal, M. A., Abdulrahman, T. R., Khudair, M. S., & Hassan, J. S. (2017). Molecular detection of multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii from different clinical samples. Iraqi Journal of Medical Sciences, 15(3).

21. Jaber, A. K., Hasan, A. M., & Kkudhaier, S. R. (2025). Phenotypic and genotypic analysis of antibiotic resistance in Acinetobacter spp. isolates in Baghdad, Iraq. Microbes and Infectious Diseases.

22. Ali, H. M., Kisk, R., Al-Amir, A., & Azab, H. (2025). Prevalence of qnr genes among Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from Suez Canal University hospitals in Ismailia. Suez Canal University Medical Journal, 28(5), 0-0

23. Abdalh, D. N., ÖZTÜRK, C., SEVİM, E., & Akyol, R. (2025). Investigation of plasmid mediated quinolone resistance genes in quinolone-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates. Microbes and Infectious Diseases.

24. Moosavian, M., Ahmadi, K., Shoja, S., Mardaneh, J., Shahi, F., & Afzali, M. (2020). Antimicrobial resistance patterns and their encoding genes among clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii in Ahvaz, Southwest Iran. MethodsX, 7, 101031.

25. Ali, S. A., Hassan, R. M., Khairat, S. M., & Salama, A. M. (2018). Plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes qnrA, qnrB, qnrC, qnrD, qnrS and aac (6')-Ib in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. Microbiol Res J Int, 25(2), 1-12.‏

Downloads

Published

2026-08-01

How to Cite

tuwaij, N. (2026). Study of fluoroquinolones resistance genes in Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from clinical sources. Al-Kufa University Journal for Biology, 18(2). https://doi.org/10.36320/ajb/v18.i2.24061

Share