ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE ASSOCIATED WITH BAP AND OMPA GENES IN ACINETOBACTER BAUMANNII ISOLATED FROM RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS

Background: Acinetobacter baumannii, a significant MDR pathogen due to its acquisition of virulence-associated genes among them two main biofilm-forming genes; bap and ompA that contribute to bacterial adhesion, persistence and antimicrobial tolerance. Active outbreaks of Multidrug Resistant A. baumannii. Evaluation of the contribution of bap and OmpA genes to antimicrobial resistance among isolates recovered from respiratory infections Methods: A cross-sectional study took place between December 2025 and March 2026 at Hilla Teaching Hospital, Babylon Province, Iraq. Methods: 90 non-duplicate clinical isolates obtained from respiratory specimens of patients with clinically suspected cases of RTI were used. Bacterial identification was provided through conventional microbiological methods. Susceptibility testing to antimicrobials was performed against imipenem, meropenem, amikacin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Genomic DNA was extracted from MDR isolates, and the bap and ompA genes were identified through conventional PCR.