Assessment of Capsule Related Antibiotic Resistance of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Isolated from Patients Attending some Hospitals in Kano State, Nigeria

Abstract

Resistance to antimicrobial substances by pathogenic microorganisms is on the rise since the beginning of modern medicine. Mechanisms; enzymatic degradation, loss of target and antimicrobial interception are employed by bacteria in resisting antimicrobials. Bacterial capsule is a gelatinous outer layer surrounding a bacterial cell composed primarily of polysaccharide. This study assessed the role that the capsule of Pseudomonas aeruginosa played in carbapenem resistance. P. aeruginosa was isolated from 49 (16%) samples out of 300 samples screened. India ink staining technique was used to detect the capsule. Capsule was detected in 42 (86%) of the isolates whereas 7 (14%) of the isolates were non-capsulated. All the capsulated strains were resistant to the antibiotics (Meropenem, Doripenem and Imipenem) whereas the non-capsulated strains were susceptible to the antibiotics. The results of this study however suggest the involvement of capsule in the resistance of the antibiotics employed.