Unveiling the Weapons of Superbug Pseudomonas: A Cross-sectional Observational Study on Virulence Factors and Antimicrobial Resistance of a Lurking Pathogen

Introduction: Pseudomonas is an opportunistic pathogen that thrives in a wide range of environments and poses a severe threat. Known for acquiring additional resistance mechanisms, it has become a formidable challenge in healthcare. Understanding its weapons and defenses is key to unveiling its strategies and identifying vulnerabilities to disarm this dangerous pathogen. Aim: To characterise clinical isolates of Pseudomonas species in terms of speciation, expression of key virulence factors, and antimicrobial resistance profiles. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Mayo Hospital, Nagpur Maharashtra, India, from January 2020 to December 2020. A total of 500 Pseudomonas isolates were tested for speciation, virulence factors, and antibiotic susceptibility using standard laboratory tests. The biofilm detection methods were analysed using Chi-square test and Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing (AST) was done using Z test. A p-value of