Detection of Serratia marcescens from clinical and environmental samples with antimicrobial sensitivity test in Basrah

Abstract

Serratia marcescens is a Gram-negative bacterium which distinguished as a member of the bacterial family of Enterobacteriaceae. It is the most common species of the genus Serratia that cause human opportunistic pathogens with a wide host range and symbolize a rising problem for public health as a causative agent of hospital-acquired / nosocomial infection in the last three decades. In the present study out of total (185) clinical and environmental specimens were collected then processed for isolation and detection of S.marcescens isolates in the south of Iraq in Basrah city. The bacterial growth was seen in 85 (65.38 %) as positive cultures and 45 (34.61 %) specimens showed negative (no bacterial growth) from the totally 130 of various clinical samples. While, from the total 55 of diverse sources of environmental specimens, the positive cultures of S.marcescens were evident in 32 (58.18 %) and no bacterial growth in 23 (41.81 %). Also, this study revealed the strains of S.marcescens as a pigmented types in frequent of (69.41 %) and non-pigmented types in rates of (30.58 %), these all bacterial isolates of S.marcescens from clinical sources. Moreover, in our study the antibiotic sensitivity testing was done for all the (117) positive isolates of S.marcescens from clinical and environmental samples, among the 85 isolates of S.marcescens from clinical samples it's were very sensitive to Ciprofloxacin (100 %) and Cefepime (89.41 %) and were more resistant to Ampicillin (87.05 %) and Aztreonam (64.70 %). While, among the 32 isolates of S.marcescens from environmental samples, results showed, these isolates of S.marcescens it's were also susceptible to Ciprofloxacin with fully form infrequent (100 %) and susceptible to antibiotic Cefepime in rate (81.25 %) but, it is more resistant to Ampicillin infrequent (81.25 %) and Aztreonam (78.12 %).