Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
(
P. aeruginosa
) is a common environmental organism and the leading cause of opportunistic human diseases. Its inherent tolerance to pharmaceuticals and disinfectants is fundamental to its pathogenicity. This study investigates the genomic characteristics of five multidrug-resistant
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
isolates from Sodwana Bay, South Africa, highlighting resistance profiles and virulence factors. Using Illumina MiSeq sequencing and functional annotation via Prokka, PATRIC and RAST, the analysis revealed significant resistance mechanisms. The isolates clustered with
P. aeruginosa
DSM 50071. The genome sizes for AF, AF1, BIS, BIS1, and BDPW, ranging from 7.0 to 6.4 Mb, were observed, with G + C contents ranging from 66.1 to 66.48%. A
de novo
multi-drug resistance was observed in all the tested strains, while
β
-lactamase resistance genes
blaPAO
, aminoglycoside phosphorylating enzymes genes
aph
(3′)-
IIb
, and fosfomycin resistance gene (
fosA
), were among the resistance genes found in all samples. The ST analysis revealed the presence of high-risk STs (ST244) in the genomes. The
blaOXA
50 gene linked to high-risk STs, which exhibits increased efficacy against carbapenems, was more common in most genomes. The examination of the virulome revealed that the
exoS
was more commonly found in most genomes, whereas the
exoU
was found in only two isolates. This study presents information concerning the genetic heterogeneity among
P. aeruginosa
strains obtained from various habitats and valuable insights into resistance gene distribution in environmental reservoirs.