Detection of Drug Resistant Genes among A. baumannii by In silico PCR Method

Background: Acinetobacter baumannii is a gram-negative bacterium classified as an opportunistic pathogen in humans by the World Health Organization. Different genetic determinants contribute to multidrug resistance, and transform it as a nosocomial pathogen.

Aim: Using in-silico PCR, this analysis aims to characterize the 13 distinct drug resistant genes found in 19 virulent A.baumannii strains.

Materials & Methods: There were 11 A.baumannii multidrug resistance genes chosen. In-silico PCR amplification was performed using forward and reverse primers from the 11 genes described in previous research. The amplicon bands were detected in 19 strains of A.baumannii that were set as default on the server.

Results: Among the 13 multidrug resistance genes studied, tet A, tet B, Sul 1, Sul 2, DfrA1, ISAba-1 and ISAba-125 were detected among the 19 virulent strains of ​A.baumannii​.

Conclusion: The findings of the study documents the frequency of tet A, tet B, Sul 1, Sul 2, DfrA1, ISAba-1 and ISAba-125 like from the selected strains of A. baumannii. However, more experimental validation is needed in order to conduct routine surveillance on drug-resistant A. baumannii strains in hospital settings.