Evolutionary trends in antibiotic resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii before and during the COVID-19 pandemic | ||
| Microbes and Infectious Diseases | ||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 27 September 2025 | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/mid.2025.404161.3022 | ||
| Authors | ||
| ELMOSTAFA BENAISSA* 1; ELMEHDI BELOUAD1; benlahlou yassine1; adil maleb2; mariama chadli1; Mostafa Elouennass1 | ||
| 1Department of Clinical Bacteriology, Mohammed V Military Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Rabat, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco | ||
| 2Laboratory of Microbiology, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy (University Mohammed the First), Oujda, Morocco | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are major causes of healthcare-associated infections and are frequently associated with multidrug resistance. This study aimed to analyze the evolution of antibiotic resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at a Moroccan hospital between 2017 and 2023, with particular focus on the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study from January 2017 to December 2023 at the Bacteriology Department of Mohammed V Military Teaching Hospital, Rabat, Morocco. Non-redundant isolates of A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa were identified using conventional methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by disk diffusion according to CASFM/EUCAST guidelines. Colistin susceptibility was assessed using broth microdilution. Pre-pandemic (2017–2019) and pandemic (2020–2023) resistance rates were compared. Results: A total of 5054 non-redundant isolates were recovered from 4803 patients, including 2840 (56%) P. aeruginosa and 2214 (44%) A. baumannii. During the pandemic, A. baumannii isolates showed significant increases in resistance to amikacin (86% vs. 68%), ceftazidime (95% vs. 87%), ciprofloxacin (93% vs. 89%), imipenem (92% vs. 83%), piperacillin-tazobactam (93% vs. 88%), and tobramycin (74% vs. 58%) (all p < 0.05). Similarly, P. aeruginosa isolates exhibited increased resistance to amikacin (24% vs. 18%), ceftazidime (45% vs. 19%), ciprofloxacin (51% vs. 24%), imipenem (44% vs. 21%), piperacillin-tazobactam (42% vs. 15%), and tobramycin (25% vs. 17%) (all p < 0.05). Colistin resistance remained absent (0%) in both species. Conclusion: Resistance rates in A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, reducing therapeutic options. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Acinetobacter baumannii; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Kinetics; Resistance; COVID-19 | ||
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