Antimicrobial Resistance and Detection Some Virulence Factors of Bacterial Isolated from Patients with Covid-19

Abstract

For healthcare systems and doctors, the advent of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has provided a daunting medical challenge. This study investigated the incidence of bacteria in patients with Covid-19 and their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern. One hundred ten throat swab samples were collected from Covid-19 patients suffering from acute pharyngitis. Bacterial identification was determined by colony morphology, microscopic, biochemical tests, and the VITKE2 system. Results showed 50 samples had positive culture 30(60%) isolates belonged to S.auresu, 10(20%) isolates belonged to S.pyogenes, 5(10%) belonged to K.pneumonia, 3(6%) isolates of   S.epidermids and 2(4%) isolates E.coli, and male30(60%) more affected than female20(40%). The sensitivity of the bacterial isolates under study was tested to 11 antibiotics. The results showed that S.aureus were resistance to Tetracycline70%, Amoxicillin80%, Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid63.3%, Cefotaxime60%, Ampicillin73%, and Penicillin80%. S.pyogenes were resistance to Tetracycline60%, Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid70%, Ampicillin60%, and Penicillin60%. The results of the study showed some factors associated with the virulence of bacterial isolates and it was found that S.aureus were possesses four virulence factors hemolysin, protease, DNase, and lecithinase. S.pyogenes possesses three virulence factors hemolysin, protease, DNase. The identification of bacteria isolated from Covid19 patients with acute bacterial pharyngitis was performed in this study, which is one of the few of its kind in Iraq.