Background: Proteus mirabilis is an opportunistic Gram-negative bacteria that may be present in hospital environments and is associated with several healthcare-associated infections, including infections of the urinary tract, wound infections, and burn infections. This study was conducted to investigate the presence of P. mirabilis in clinical or hospital-related samples and to determination of antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of bacterial isolates
Materials and Methods: A total of 150 clinical samples and 100 environmental samples were collected from three hospitals in Babylon Province. The samples were cultured for bacterial growth. Bacterial isolates were identified using biochemical tests and the automated VITEK 2® System. antimicrobial performed susceptibility tests.
Results: The results showed that 20 Proteus mirabilis isolates were obtained from a total of 150 clinical samples, while no P. mirabilis isolates were recovered from environmental samples. However, other bacterial species were isolated from environmental samples and identified by the VITEK 2 automated system. The results of antibiotic susceptibility test showed a resistance rate of 36.8% for cefotaxime , ceftazidime, and cefepime. Furthermore, a high resistance rate (100%) was observed against tigecycline. The resistance rate to avibactam, imipenem, and trimethoprim was 26.3%, and the resistance rates to ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, and ceftolozane were 21.1%, 15.8%, and 10.5%, respectively. Colistin showed no detectable activity against the tested P. mirabilis isolates.
Conclusion: Proteus mirabilis is an important opportunistic pathogen associated with healthcare-related infections. The isolates demonstrated variable antimicrobial resistance patterns, with notably high resistance to tigecycline and moderate resistance to cephalosporins.