What is the medical importance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa?
Pseudomonas aeruginosa has become an important cause of gram-negative infection, especially in patients with compromised host defense mechanisms. It is the most common pathogen isolated from patients who have been hospitalized longer than 1 week, and it is a frequent cause of nosocomial infections.
What disease is associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa?
Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes urinary tract infections, respiratory system infections, dermatitis, soft tissue infections, bacteremia, bone and joint infections, gastrointestinal infections and a variety of systemic infections, particularly in patients with severe burns and in cancer and AIDS patients who are ...
What is unique about Pseudomonas aeruginosa?
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen of humans that provokes acute and chronic infections. Due to its resistance to a majority of clinically employed antibiotics, P. aeruginosa is considered one of the most concerning infectious agents frequently associated with nosocomial infections.
What is Pseudomonas associated with?
It has been associated with a variety of opportunistic infections in humans, including pneumonia, endocarditis, urinary tract infections, wound infections, septicemia, and meningitis. Pseudomonas cepacia, although primarily a plant pathogen (onion bulb rot), also is an opportunist.
Where do the most serious Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections occur?
The most severe infections occur in hospitals. Pseudomonas can easily grow in humidifiers and types of medical equipment -- catheters, for instance -- that aren't properly cleaned. If health care workers don't wash their hands well, they can also transfer the bacteria from an infected patient to you.
What are the signs and symptoms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa?
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common disease-causing form of this bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)....Signs and Symptoms of Pseudomonas AeruginosaFever and chills.Difficulty breathing.Chest pain.Tiredness.Cough, sometimes with yellow, green, or bloody mucus.
Is Pseudomonas aeruginosa harmful or beneficial?
Pseudomonas aeruginosa play a vital role in the biodegradation and bioremediation of these toxic compounds found in soil and water by utilizing the pesticides as its carbon source and energy.
Can Pseudomonas cause sepsis?
Infection with pseudomonas can lead to urinary tract infections, sepsis (blood stream infection), pneumonia, pharyngitis, and many other medical problems.
Is Pseudomonas aeruginosa a superbug?
Researchers have recently revealed the virulence regulatory mechanism in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a superbug which is common in patients with a weak immune system and is resistant to many antibiotics. The findings pave ways for identifying good antibiotic targets for new drug development.
What is the best treatment for Pseudomonas aeruginosa?
Among the antibiotics selected ciprofloxacin was the most effective single agent against five out of the six P. aeruginosa isolates tested.
What medication is used to treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa?
Medication Summary Pseudomonas infection can be treated with a combination of an antipseudomonal beta-lactam (eg, penicillin or cephalosporin) and an aminoglycoside. Carbapenems (eg, imipenem, meropenem) with antipseudomonal quinolones may be used in conjunction with an aminoglycoside.
Can Pseudomonas spread from person to person?
Yes. Pseudomonas is contagious. Transmission is possible through contact with contaminated surfaces or equipment, and also the consumption of contaminated water or fruit and vegetables. It can also pass from person to person via contact with hands and skin.
What is the common name for Pseudomonas aeruginosa?
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common encapsulated, gram-negative, aerobic–facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium that can cause disease in plants and animals, including humans....Pseudomonas aeruginosaSpecies:P. aeruginosaBinomial namePseudomonas aeruginosa (Schröter 1872) Migula 1900Synonyms10 more rows
Does Pseudomonas aeruginosa cause cystic fibrosis?
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the major pathogen in the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung. Prevalence is high and, once acquired, chronic infection will almost always ensue. Several hypotheses related to the underlying molecular defects in CF have been suggested to explain this high rate of prevalence.
What is Pseudomonas bacterial infection?
Pseudomonas infections are diseases caused by a bacterium from the genus Pseudomonas. The bacteria are found widely in the environment, such as in soil, water, and plants. They usually do not cause infections in healthy people. If an infection does occur in a healthy person, it is generally mild.
Can Pseudomonas aeruginosa cause sepsis?
Sepsis is a leading cause of mortality in burn patients. One of the major causes of sepsis in burn patients is Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
How Is Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Diagnosed?
aeruginosa, your doctor will perform a physical examination and ask about your symptoms and medical history. Then they’ll send a sample of your blood or other bodily fluid to a lab to test for the bacteria.
What is pseudoma aeruginosa?
What Is Pseudomonas Aeruginosa? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention. Pseudomonas is a group of bacteria that can cause various types of infections. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common disease-causing form of this bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
How many people died from Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 2017?
Research and Statistics: Who Has Pseudomonas Aeruginosa. Being in a healthcare setting puts you at the highest risk of P. aeruginosa. In 2017, P. aeruginosa caused approximately 32,600 infections among patients in hospitals and 2,700 deaths in the United States, according to the CDC.
What happens if you get a pseudomonas infection in your foot?
Pseudomonal infections that enter the bloodstream can also lead to respiratory failure, shock, and death. More on Antibiotics.
Why is it so difficult to treat P. aeruginosa?
aeruginosa infections is becoming more difficult, however, because some bacterial strains show resistance to nearly all classes of powerful antibiotics. Treating these drug-resistant infections requires sending samples to a laboratory to test the bacteria against different antibiotics in hope of finding drugs that are effective against it.
What is the mortality rate for P. aeruginosa?
The mortality rates for P. aeruginosa infections are estimated to range from 18 to 61 percent; more ill patients, such as those with bloodstream infections or cancers of the blood, are at higher risk of dying, per past research.
How is P. aeruginosa spread?
In healthcare settings, P. aeruginosa is spread through improper hygiene, such as from the unclean hands of healthcare workers, or via contaminated medical equipment that wasn't fully sterilized.
When was P. aeruginosa first described?
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) P. aeruginosa was first described as a distinct bacterial species at the end of the nineteenth century, after the development of sterile culture media by Pasteur.
How does P. aeruginosa gain energy?
It gains energy by transferring electrons from glucose, a reduced substrate, to oxygen, the final electron acceptor (15). The breakdown of glucose requires it to oxidize to gluconate in the periplasm, then it will be brought inside the inner membrane by a specific energy-dependent gluconate uptake system. Once inside, gluconate is phosphorylated to 6-P-gluconate, which will enter the central metabolism to produce energy for the cell (16). When P. aeruginosa is in anaerobic conditions, however, P. aeruginosa uses nitrate as a terminal electron acceptor (17). Under oxidative-stress conditions, P. aeruginosa synthesizes Fe- or Mn- containing superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes, which catalyze the very reactive O- to H2O2 and O2. It also detoxifies H2O2 to O2 and H2O by using catalase (1).
How many base pairs does P. aeruginosa have?
P. aeruginosa has the genome size of about 5.2 to 7 million base pairs (Mbp) with 65% Guanine + Cytosine content. It is a combination of variable accessory segments and a conserved core. The variable accessory genome is characterized by a set of genomic islands and islets from a primeval tRNA-integrated island type. The core genome consists of a low level of nucleotide divergence of 0.5% and a conserved synteny of genes, which means two or more genes, whether they are linked or not, are on the same chromosome (7).
How big is a P. aeruginosa rod?
It is a rod about 1-5 µm long and 0.5-1.0 µm wide. P. aeruginosa is an obligate respirer, using aerobic respiration (with oxygen) as its optimal metabolism although can also respire anaerobically on nitrate or other alternative electron acceptors.
Why is P. aeruginosa starved for iron?
When infecting its host, P. aeruginosa is starved for iron because iron deprivation of an infecting pathogen is the key part in the humans’ innate defense mechanism. To overcome this challenge, P. aeruginosa synthesizes two siderophores: pyochelin and pyoverdin. P. aeruginosa then secrets these sideophores to the exterior of the cell, where they bind tightly to iron and bring the iron back into the cell. Additionally, P. aeruginosa can also use iron from enterobactin, a special siderophore produced by E. coli for iron transport, to satisfy its iron need (14).
What is the purpose of the flagellum and pili?
Flagellum and Pili-- P. aeruginosa uses its single and polar flagellum to move around and to display chemotaxis to useful molecules, like sugars. Its strains either have a-type or b-type of flagella, a classification that is based primarily on the size and antigenicity of the flagellin subunit. The flagellum is very important during the early stages of infection, for it can attach to and invade tissues of the hosts (13). Similarly to its flagellum, P. aeruginosa pili contribute greatly to its ability to adhere to mucosal surfaces and epithelial cells. Specifically, it is the pili’s tip that is responsible for the adherence to the host cell surface. P. aeruginosa have N-methyl-phenyl-alanine (NMePhe) or type IV pili (1). The pili are characterized as long polar filaments made up of homopolymers from the protein pilin, which is encoded by the pilA gene (4). Overall, P. aeruginosa flagellum and pili have similar functionality (for attachment) and structure (both are filamentous structures on the surface of the cell), and their motility is controlled by RpoN, especially during initial attachment to the human host and under low nutrient conditions (1).
Does P. aeruginosa have a chromosome?
P. aeruginosa has a single and supercoiled circular chromosome in the cytoplasm (4). It also carries a lot of chromosome-mobilizing plasmids that are very significant to the organism’s lifestyle as a pathogen. The plasmids, TEM, OXA, and PSE, for instance, are encoded for betalactamase production, which is necessary for its resistance to antibiotics, thus allowing P. aeruginosa to be a formidable pathogen (8).
Why is the mortality rate high in Pseudomonas?
The high mortality associated with these infections is due to a combination of weakened host defenses, bacterial resistance to antibiotics, and the production of extracellular bacterial enzymes and toxins. The genus Pseudomonas contains more than 140 species, most of which are saprophytic. More than 25 species are associated with humans.
Where do pseudomonas live?
Pseudomonasspecies normally inhabit soil, water, and vegetation and can be isolated from the skin, throat, and stool of healthy persons. They often colonize hospital food, sinks, taps, mops, and respiratory equipment. Spread is from patient to patient via contact with fomites or by ingestion of contaminated food and water.
How many species of pseudomonads are there?
The genus Pseudomonas contains more than 140 species, most of which are saprophytic. More than 25 species are associated with humans. Most pseudomonads known to cause disease in humans are associated with opportunistic infections.
Which species of pseudomonads produce glanders?
Only two species, P mallei and P pseudomallei, produce specific human diseases: glanders and melioidosis. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and P maltophilia account for approximately 80 percent of pseudomonads recovered from clinical specimens. Because of the frequency with which it is involved in human disease, P aeruginosa has received the most attention.
How does P aeruginosa grow?
Pseudomonas aeruginosais a nonfermentative aerobe that derives its energy from oxidation rather than fermentation of carbohydrates. Although able to use more than 75 different organic compounds, it can grow on media supplying only acetate for carbon and ammonium sulfate for nitrogen. Furthermore, although an aerobe, it can grow anaerobically, using nitrate as an electron acceptor. This organism grows well at 25° C to 37° C, but can grow slowly or at least survive at higher and lower temperatures. Indeed, the ability to grow at 42° C distinguishes it from many other Pseudomonasspecies. In addition to its nutritional versatility, P aeruginosaresists high concentrations of salt, dyes, weak antiseptics, and many commonly used antibiotics. These properties help explain its ubiquitous nature and contribute to its preeminence as a cause of nosocomial infections.
What is the opportunistic pathogen that may infect virtually any tissue?
Diverse sites of infection by P aeruginosa. This opportunistic pathogen may infect virtually any tissue. Infection is facilitated by the presence of underlying disease (e.g., cancer, cystic fibrosis) or by a breakdown in nonspecific host defenses (as (more...)
Why is phagocytosis important?
Phagocytosis by polymorphonuclear leukocytes is important in resistance to Pseudomonasinfections. Antibodies to somatic antigens and exotoxins also contribute to recovery. Humoral immunity is normally the primary immune mechanism against Pseudomonasinfection but does not seem to resolve infection in cystic fibrosis patients despite high levels of circulating antibodies.
What does it mean if your Pseudomonas aeruginosa result is too high?
High levels of Pseudomonas aeruginosa may indicate increased intestinal inflammatory activity and may cause abdominal cramping and loose stools. Some strains of P. aeroginosa may produce toxins that can damage cells.
Where is Pseudomonas aeruginosa found?
Like other members of the genus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a free-living bacterium, commonly found in soil and water. However, it occurs regularly on the surfaces of plants and occasionally on the surfaces of animals.
What is the most common gram negative bacteria?
Pseudomonas species are gram-negative bacteria found widely in the environment. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common species causing infection and can affect every portion of the intestine.
What is the simplest medium for growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa?
In the laboratory, the simplest medium for growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa consists of acetate as a source of carbon and ammonium sulfate as a source of nitrogen.
Is Pseudomonas aeruginosa Gram negative?
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative rod measuring 0.5 to 0.8 µm by 1.5 to 3.0 µm. Almost all strains are motile by means of a single polar flagellum. The bacterium is ubiquitous in soil and water, and on surfaces in contact with soil or water.
Is Pseudomonas a bacterium?
The typical Pseudomonas bacterium in nature might be found in a biofilm, attached to some surface or substrate, or in a planktonic form, as a unicellular organism, actively swimming by means of its flagellum. Pseudomonas is one of the most vigorous, fast-swimming bacteria seen in hay infusions and pond water samples.
Is Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistant to salts?
It is resistant to high concentrations of salts and dyes, weak antiseptics, and many commonly used antibiotics. - Pseudomonas aeruginosa has a predilection for growth in moist environments, which is probably a reflection of its natural existence in soil and water.
What is pseudomonas aeruginosa?
pseudomonas aeruginosa. A normal soil inhabitant and human saprobe/commensal which may contaminate various solutions and fluids in a hospital , causing opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients. Clinical findings.
How does Pseudonomas aeruginosa infect?
Pathogenesis. Pseudonomas aeruginosa is both invasive and toxicogenic, and infects patients in a 3-step process: 1. Bacterial attachment and colonization—mediated by pili and antiphagocytic effects of the organism’s polysaccharide capsule; 2.
What is the genus of blue pus?
a bacterial species found in soil, water, and commonly in clinical specimens (wound infections, infected burn lesions, urinary tract infections); the causative agent of blue pus; occasionally pathogenic for plants; usually causes infections in humans in whom there is a defect in host defense mechanisms. It is the type species of the genus Pseudomonas.
How many MBp is Pseudomonas aeruginosa?
Published in Nature (Stover et al. 406:959-964, 2000), it was the largest bacterial genome sequenced to that time. The 6.3-Mbp genome contains 5570 predicted genes on one chromosome.
Where does Pseudomonas live?
Pseudomonas normally resides in the soil, marshes, and coastal marine habitats. It can survive under conditions that few other organisms can tolerate, it produces a slime layer that resists phagocytosis (engulfment), and it is resistant to most antibiotics.
What is the blue pus bacteria?
Pseudomonas aeruginosa: The versatile "blue-green pus bacteria" that opportunistically infects people, especially those who are immunocompromised. Pseudomonas rarely causes infection in healthy individuals but it is a major cause of hospital acquired (nosocomial) infections. It tends to infect people with immunodeficiency or burns ...
Can pseudomonas cause sepsis?
It tends to infect people with immunodeficiency or burns and those with indwelling catheters or on respirators. Infection with pseudomonas can lead to urinary tract infections, sepsis (blood stream infection), pneumonia, pharyngitis, and many other medical problems.
Can pseudomonas multiply?
Pseudomonas can multiply in an extraordinary assortment of environments including eyedrops, soaps, sinks, anesthesia and resuscitation equipment, fuels, humidifiers and even stored distilled water. It has also been reported in kidney dialysis machines.
Description and Significance
Cell Structure and Metabolism
- Protein F--Since P. aeruginosa is a Gram-negative microbe, it has an outer membrane which contains Protein F (OprF). OprF functions as a porin, allowing certain molecules and ions to come into the cells, and as a structural protein, maintaining the bacterial cell shape. Because OprF provides P. aeruginosa outer membrane with an exclusion limit of 500 Da, it lowers the permeab…
Ecology
- Since P. aeruginosa can live in both inanimate and human environments, it has been characterized as a “ubiquitous” microorganism. This versatility is made possible by a large number of enzymes that allow P. aeruginosa to use a diversity of substances as nutrients. Most impressively, P. aeruginosa can switch from growing on nonmucoid to mucoid environments, w…
Pathology
- P. aeruginosa rarely causes disease in healthy humans. It is usually linked with patients whose immune system is compromised by diseases or trauma. It gains access to these patients’ tissues through the burns, for the burn victims, or through an underlying disease, like cystic fibrosis. First, P. aeruginosa adheres to tissue surfaces using its flagellum, pili, and exo-S; then, it replicates to …
Identification
- Macro morphology (smell): Micromorphology: Small motile rod (0.5-0.8 x 1.5-3 µm) with a monotrichous flagellum. Gram -: Fig. 65:5.Gram staining of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, strain ATCC 27853. The field B is a partial magnification (3 times) of A. The length of the scale bar corresponds to 5 µm. Date: 2011-03-24. G- Metabolism: Is often classified as aerobic, but can al…
Application to Biotechnology
- P. aeruginosa, as well as many other Pseudomonas, can degrade aromatic hydrocarbons such as methylbenzenes, which are the by-products of petroleum industries and are commonly used as solvents for enamels and paints as well as in the production of drugs and chemicals. Methylbenzenes are considered as environmental contaminants that are present in the atmosph…
Current Research
- Effect of Spaceflight on Microbial Gene Expression and Virulence (Microbe) --The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University are currently carrying out a research project called the Microbe Experiment. In this experiment, three microbial pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, and …