Phylogeny, susceptibility and virulence determinants of Morganella morganii isolated from patients with urinary tract infections in Mosul, Iraq

Morganella morganii is a human gut commensal microbiota and a rare opportunistic pathogen that is frequently isolated in microbiology labs in Mosul. However, little is known about its virulence and the most common phylogenetic group distributed. Therefore this study was conducted to isolate M. morganii from 100 urine samples collected form hospitalized patient with UTI in Mosul city, Iraq. Traditional and molecular identification with 16S rRNA gene sequence detected 3 M. morganii isolates. All three isolates belonged to the phylogenetic group A depending on the presence of chuA, yjaA, and TspE4C2 genes by PCR. All three isolates carried the virulence genes sat that encodes a secreted auto transporter toxin and hly that encodes a hemolysin. Two different genes which code for extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (blaCTX, blaTEM) were detected in all three M. morganii isolates, while blaSHV and blaOXA were not detected. The lack of blaSHV and blaOXA in these isolates suggests that this mechanism of resistance may not be widespread in the local population of M. morganii.