Tracking the Phylogenetic Origins of Proteus mirabilis and P. vulgaris in Iraq

Abstract

Abstract Background: Common gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria called Proteus spp. are widely known for their swarming motility and urease activity. It is the main pathogen that causes complicated urethral tract infections. Objectives: Proteus mirabilis and P. vulgaris isolates were isolated, and the positions of the bla TEM, bla CTX-M, and bla SHV genes on the P. mirabilis isolates’ genomes were identified. The MEGA X10.2.4 software tool was employed to achieve this, and the genetic trees of P. mirabilis were created. Additionally, the isolates that represent the prevalence and degree of pathogenicity of these bacteria in Iraq were used to produce biofilms. Materials and Methods: A total of 210 urine samples from various patients who were hospitalized in general hospitals in Iraq between September 2021 and July 2022 were collected and yielded forty isolates of P. mirabilis and P. vulgaris. Traditional methods and the VITEK 2 compact were used to identify the isolates, which were given the names PM1 to PV40. Results: The results showed that all isolates were biofilm-forming, with the following ratios: 5 (15%) were weak, 31 (5.77%) were medium, and 4 (5.7%) were strong. The matching of this study isolates with NCBI-Gen bank global strains found that four isolates (PM1, PM2, PM3, and PM4) were originated in India, two isolates (PM5 and PM8) were originated in Iraq, and one (PM6) isolate was originated in Egypt. Conclusion: According to the results of this investigation, P. mirabilis and P. vulgaris isolates from various geographical areas show varying degrees of virulence factors. Therefore, additional researches are required to create a genetic diversity map of P. mirabilis and P. vulgaris due to variable frequencies in the sequencing of bla TEM, bla CTX-M, and bla SHV genes of the isolates.