Comparing antibiotic resistance and virulence profiles of , , and from environmental and clinical settings.

Antibiotic resistance and virulence profiles of , , and , isolated from water sources collected in informal settlements, were compared to clinical counterparts. Cluster analysis using repetitive extragenic palindromic sequence-based polymerase chain reaction (REP-PCR) indicated that, for each respective species, low genetic relatedness was observed between most of the clinical and environmental isolates, with only one clinical (PAO1) and one clinical (P2) exhibiting high genetic similarity to the environmental strains. Based on the antibiograms, the clinical Ef CD1 was extensively drug resistant (XDR); all isolates ( = 12) (except ATCC 13883) were multidrug resistant (MDR), while the ( = 16) isolates exhibited higher susceptibility profiles. The gene (tetracycline resistance) was identified in 47.4 % ( = 6 environmental;  = 3 clinical) of the isolates, while the gene (carbapenem resistance) was detected in 52.6 % ( = 7 environmental;  = 3 clinical) and 15.4 % ( = 2 environmental) of the and isolates, respectively. The isolates were predominantly poor biofilm formers, the isolates were moderate biofilm formers, while the isolates were strong biofilm formers. All and isolates were gamma (γ)-haemolytic, non-gelatinase producing ( only), and non-hypermucoviscous ( only), while the isolates exhibited beta (β)-haemolysis and produced gelatinase. The (type 1 fimbriae adhesion) and (uridine diphosphate galacturonate 4-epimerase synthesis) virulence genes were detected in the isolates, while the isolates possessed the (phenazine production) and (alginate biosynthesis) genes. Similarities in antibiotic resistance and virulence profiles of environmental and clinical , , and , thus highlights the potential health risks posed by using environmental water sources for daily water needs in low-and-middle-income countries.