environmental assay data sheet

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Test code: B0119 - Ultrasensitive qualitative detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria by real time PCR protocols:

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that belongs to the Pseudomonadaceae family. It has polar flagella and is motile, and can produce various toxins and enzymes that contribute to its pathogenicity. It can be found nearly anywhere in the environment, such as in soil, water, plants, and moist areas like sinks, bathtubs, or hospital equipment.

P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen; it can infect many different animal species. It primarily infects individuals with weakened immune systems. It is one of the major causes of hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections in humans. Infected patients can develop various symptoms depending on the site of infection. For example, infection of the lungs may cause cough, shortness of breath, and fever, while skin infections can lead to rashes or ulcers.

Infection can be dangerous because P. aeruginosa is resistant to many antibiotics. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains, including carbapenem-resistant variants, are a global health concern and listed as a critical priority pathogen by the World Health Organization. Prevention of infection relies on personal hygiene, proper medical equipment sterilization, and infection control in healthcare settings.

Culture-based methods have been used to diagnose the infection, with biochemical tests sometimes added to confirm the diagnosis. However, PCR is increasingly used to diagnose the infection due to its high specificity and sensitivity (Al-Daghistani et al., 2025). PCR is also rapid and can be performed on many different sample types (Khan et al., 1994).

Utilities:

• Check for Pseudomonas aeruginosa in facilities, buildings, soil, ventilation systems, or goods
• Selection of appropriate remediation regimens
• Check for post-remediation absence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Early prevention of the spread of Pseudomonas aeruginosa among animals in facilities
• Help minimize human exposure to Pseudomonas aeruginosa

References:

Al-Daghistani HI, Abu-Niaaj LF, Zein S. Accurate Diagnosis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Is Critical to Mitigating Development of Antibiotic Resistance. Antibiotics (Basel). 2025 May 15;14(5):509.

Specimen requirements: Skin lesion swab, or environmental surface swab (cotton or synthetic tip) or swipe pad (approx 2" x 2"), or 2 ml of soil, or 2 ml water, or 0.2 ml EDTA whole blood, or 0.2 ml fresh, frozen or fixed tissue, or 0.2 ml cell culture.

Contact Zoologix if advice is needed to determine an appropriate specimen type for a specific diagnostic application. For specimen types not listed here, please contact Zoologix to confirm specimen acceptability and shipping instructions.

For all specimen types, if there will be a delay in shipping, or during very warm weather, refrigerate specimens until shipped and ship with a cold pack unless more stringent shipping requirements are specified. Frozen specimens should be shipped so as to remain frozen in transit. See shipping instructions for more information.

Turnaround time: 2 business days

Methodology: Qualitative real time polymerase chain reaction

Normal range: Nondetected