Monitoring the battleground: Exploring Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence Factors in Wound Bacterial Isolates

There is an alarming increase in antibiotic resistance especially on common bacterial infections that could be attributed to extensive unregulated use of antibiotics.   Continuous strategic monitoring of antibiotic use and AMR trends becomes imperative. This serves as a motivation to a thorough evaluation of wound isolates for relevant bacteria and assessing their drug susceptibility patterns, which we report herein. This cross-sectional study aimed to decipher antibacterial resistance by examining samples collected from patients with chronic wounds seeking medication at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH). Standard microbiological methods were employed to identify and characterize the bacterial pathogens. Analysis of the wound isolates revealed a significant presence of microbial growth, with a higher prevalence of59% isolates in male patients. Staphylococcus aureus 20.7%emerged as the most predominant pathogen, followed by Klebsiella spp.14.8%, P. aeruginosa spp. 14.8%, and E. coli 4.4% in the wound samples. Notably, Cotrimoxazole exhibited the highest antibacterial resistance 48.1%, followed by Clindamycin 25.9% and Erythromycin 25.9%, affecting both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, among the isolates, 75% were capable of producing haemolysin and protease, while 50% produced lipase and phospholipase, factors that enhance virulence and survival. These findings provide crucial insights into antimicrobial resistance in chronic wounds, emphasizing the importance of responsible antibacterial use in wound management. Additionally, they shed light on the need for developing more potent antibiotics for effectively treating chronic wounds.