What is Pseudomonas aeruginosa?
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium. P. aeruginosa is a ubiquitous microorganism, which means it has the ability to survive under a variety of environmental conditions. It is commonly found in the environment e.g. water and soil. It causes disease in plants, animals and humans where it is an opportunistic pathogen, affecting patients when the immune system is weakened. P. aeruginosa causes dermatitis, soft tissue infections, bone and joint infections, urinary tract infections (UTIs), gastrointestinal infections, respiratory system infections, bloodstream infections and a variety of systemic infections, mainly in patients with severe burns, cancer and AIDS. As it has an extensive range of resistance mechanisms, P. aeruginosa is frequently resistant to common antibiotics making the treatment of infections challenging. Antimicrobial resistance has led to a serious restriction in treatment options. This pathogen can cause healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).