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What is Pseudomonas aeruginosa and how does AMR play a role?

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Microbiology
May 22, 2023

What is Pseudomonas aeruginosa and how does AMR play a role?
Author: Arnav Padhi 

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacterium, which is mainly found in hospital environments, causing infections in the bloodstream, urinary tract, lungs, surgical wounds and burns. It is commonly seen in those nursed in intensive care units requiring mechanical help with their breathing. This bacteria with high potential for developing resistance to antibiotics may be transmitted from contaminated objects in the hospital including linen, catheters, scopes, and ventilators.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections are more common in people over the age of 55 years and those who have prolonged hospital stays. The bacteria can also grow on food products including fruits and vegetables, which is why proper washing and preparation of food with clean water is imperative before eating them.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections are treated with antibiotics, however, when a resistant strain is present, this can pose a major threat to patients because it means that the bacterial infection will not respond to certain classes of antibiotics.

According to the WHO, highly resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa is considered as a Priority 1 pathogen for which there is an urgent need to look for new treatments. Other types of priority pathogens include Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus faecium, Helicobacter pylori, Campylobacter spp., Salmonellae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Candida auris.

 

Some of the steps we can take to reduce Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection are to:

  • Wash hands regularly using soap and clean water, or alcohol-based hand rub in health settings
  • If you enter a hospital, ensure that your health care professional (doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, etc.) sanitize their hands before and after they make contact with you because these dangerous bacteria can be passed between patients
  • Avoid swimming in places where the water is not treated with chemicals like chlorine which help to manage dangerous bacteria. After swimming, properly clean and dry your ears
  • Clean food products like vegetables and fruits properly before eating them. Also make sure that the utensils used to cut vegetables are properly washed
  • After surgery always check for signs of infection and if you have any concerns, discuss them with your doctor
  • Always take your antibiotic medication exactly as prescribed by a competent prescriber 

Antibiotics are life-saving medicines, although with the growing concern of antibiotic resistance, scientists have been exploring novel treatments for Pseudomonas infections which have developed resistance including phage therapy. Phages are microscopic viruses which fight back against the resistant bacteria and recently they have shown to be a promising approach because of their cost effectiveness which is particularly important to LMIC regions like India.

In phage therapy for resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, specific bacteriophages that are capable of infecting and killing the bacteria are identified and isolated. These phages are then purified and prepared in a solution that can be administered to the patient.

Phage therapy for resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa can be administered topically or systemically, depending on the site of infection. Topical application involves directly applying the phage solution to the infected area, such as a wound or burn. Systemic administration involves injecting the phage solution into the bloodstream or other body cavities.

Studies have shown that phage therapy can be effective in treating resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections, but further research is needed to fully understand the potential benefits and limitations of this approach.

Arnav Padhi

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Arnav Padhi is currently working as a doctoral researcher at the School of Biosciences and Technology, VIT University, Vellore, India. His work involves using Phage Therapy as an alternative strategy to treat infections caused by Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. He is also involved in screening and identification of resistant genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa which is the prime cause of AMR and Hospital-associated Infections (HAIs). He previously worked in the field of AMR in one of the top labs in India and is actively involved in seminars and workshops that focus on raising awareness about AMR. Beyond his lab work, Arnav is actively involved in science blogging and creative writing.

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Chris Shaffer

Chris Shaffer was a music, special education teacher, and high school principal for 45 years. At the end of his educational career, he was thrust into the world of AMR infections when a number of abdominal surgeries left him with an E-coli infection which failed to respond to antibiotics. After doctors in the USA left him with little hope for a cure, diminishing health, and a bleak prognosis, he set out on his own.

Chris found success in phage therapy at the Eliava Phage Therapy Center in Tbilisi, Georgia. With phage therapy giving Chris his life back, he has dedicated his retirement years to advocating for and helping raise awareness of phage therapy used for AMR infections. He tells the story of his phage journey in a book titled, Finding Phage: How I Partnered with a Friendly Virus to Cure My Deadly Bacterial Superinfection. His website, phagetherpyusa.com helps others learn to understand the healing power of phage therapy.

Demi Christofi

Demi is an Associate Scientific Director at a medical communications agency, with a background in microbiology and a longstanding focus on antimicrobial resistance. She holds an MSc in Microbiology, where she first became interested in the global challenge of resistance and the need to bring scientific understanding to wider audiences.

Demi’s career has centred on a simple but powerful belief: that how we communicate science matters. Her work focuses on making complex data clear, engaging, and accessible – whether for healthcare professionals, policy makers, or the patients most affected by infection and resistance. She has contributed to a wide range of AMR-focused projects, including educational programmes, congress communications and stewardship initiatives.

A central thread in Demi’s work is the importance of the patient voice. She is passionate about making sure real-world experiences of treatment failure, recurrent infections, and the anxiety surrounding resistance are not lost in the data. She believes that listening to patients and involving them meaningfully is essential for shaping more effective, human-centred responses to AMR.

Demi is also a strong advocate of the One Health approach, recognising AMR as a complex, interconnected issue that spans human health, animal health, and the environment. She is particularly drawn to efforts that move beyond siloed thinking and focus on practical, joined-up solutions.

In 2025, Demi joined The AMR Narrative as an Independent Advisor, where she supports the charity’s mission to centre communication, community, and inclusion in the global AMR response.

Outside of work, she is a Girlguiding unit leader and a qualified yoga teacher. These roles reflect her commitment to care, learning, and creating supportive spaces for others.

Andrea Hartley

Andrea has worked in health communications and campaigning for 3 decades. She is committed to fighting AMR through timely and appropriate communications globally,.

Andrea set up Skating Panda, the creative social and environmental impact consultancy, over a decade ago and drives its impact and growth. Focused on original and lasting public interest communications as well as issue strategy and advocacy, the Panda team has a track record of prompting tipping points in the status quo that drive better social and planetary outcomes.

Andrea’s combination of commercial marketing and development experience with deep issue knowledge have been sought by decision-makers at global summits, corporate and NGO board members, and have enabled her to set up multi-million fundraising platforms and push through policies that change and save lives. 

Andrea is Vice Chair of mothers2mothers, the world’s largest employer of women living with HIV, and a Board Director of Maymessy, a food poverty social enterprise.

A lifelong advocate for gender equality, she played a key role in establishing the UK’s Women’s Equality Party.

Esmita Charani

Professor Esmita Charani is a pharmacist and researcher investigating how we use antibiotics in different cultural and social contexts. She works with teams in the UK, India, and South Africa to develop research programmes investigating all aspects of antimicrobial resistance in human populations with a focus in hospital settings.

She has experience in communicating her research with patients and the public through various media including animations, blogs, and educational videos.