DOD: Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria

gram negative rod

Pseudomonas aeruginosa motility

Single, polar flagellum

Pseudomonas aeruginosa characterisitcs

Obligate aerobe

Encapsulated

Large genome (6.3 megabases)

where is Pseudomonas aeruginosa free-living in 

soil, seawater, and freshwater 

what does Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonize

plants and animals

• intestinal resident in 10% of people 

what can Pseudomonas aeruginosa do 

extract energy from minuscule amounts of dissolved nutrients

what does Pseudomonas aeruginosa produce

green, brown, red, and/or yellow water-soluble pigments

Pseudomonas aeruginosa pathogen

opportunisitc patogen—→ Infectious usually in immunocompromised hosts or as a result of medical procedures

what is the most common Gram negative nosocomial infection 

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

what causes Pseudomonas aeruginosa

• Pneumoniae

• UTIs

• Surgical wound infections

• Septicemia

• Burn wound infections

Common pseudomonal infections

hot tub rash

corneal ulcers 

who can hot tub rash occur in

healthy people

common reservoirs for hot tub rash

sponges and washclothes

who is vulnerable for corneal ulcers

contact lens wearers

virulence factors

• Phospholipases

• Proteases

• Amylase

• Pectinase

• Cellulase

• Exotoxins

• Slime layer and biofilm formation

• Adhesins

• LPS

virulence factoes are controleed through

quorum sensing

what else does Pseudomonas aeruginosa use to move 

polar type IV pili 

why does Pseudomonas aeruginosa use polar type IV pili 

to move across solid surfaces

what are biofilms

Exopolysaccharide matrix for adherence

what do biofilms interfere with

immune cell access 

what are biofilms more resistant to

antibiotics and disinfectants

biofilms?

Up to 60% of human infections

Notable characteristics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

• Grape-like odor

• Noticeable color in tissue exudates (Blue pus)

• Blue-green or green-yellow fluorescent pigment

what does Multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa cause

32,600 hospital acquired infections and 2,700 deaths in 2017

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Mortality rates based on types of infection

• Ventilator assisted pneumoniae – 38%

• Burn wounds – 60%

• AIDs patients – 50%

• Cystic fibrosis – 50%

what is the most consistently resistant pathogenic bacterium

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

effective antibiotics against pseudomonas aeruginosa

• Fluoroquinolones

• Gentamicin

• Imipenem

• Use a combination of gentamicin and carbenicillin

are the common antibiotics effective against all strains.

no