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. 2025 Jul 1;25(1):868.
doi: 10.1186/s12879-025-11250-5.

Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of bacteria isolated from wound infections in Al-Bayda Governorate -Yemen

Kamal Saleh Hussien  1 , Gamil Taher Abdulmughni  2 , Arwa Mohammed Othman  3 , Huda Zaid Al-Shami  4 , Naif Mohammed Al-Haidary  1 , Rowa Mohammed Assayaghi  4 , Kamal Hamoud Jahzer  5
Affiliations

Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of bacteria isolated from wound infections in Al-Bayda Governorate -Yemen

Kamal Saleh Hussien et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Wounds compromise the skin's protective barrier, providing a favorable environment for bacterial colonization and proliferation. The rising incidence of multidrug-resistant pathogens poses a major global healthcare challenge, hindering effective infection management.

Aim: To identify bacterial pathogens associated with wound infections and assess their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 139 patients with clinically suspected wound infections. Wound swabs were collected and processed using standard microbiological techniques. Isolated bacteria were identified and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using the disc diffusion method according to CLSI guidelines.

Results: The majority of patients (27.3%) were aged 26-35 years, with 46 (33.1%) males and 93 (66.9%) females. Of 139 specimens, 108 (77.7%) yielded positive cultures. The most frequently isolated organisms were Escherichia coli (20.4%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (19.4%), Staphylococcus aureus (17.6%), and Citrobacter freundii (16.7%). A high level of resistance to commonly used antibiotics was observed among most isolates.

Conclusion: This study highlights the high prevalence of bacterial wound infections in Al-Bayda Governorate, Yemen, and the alarming rates of antimicrobial resistance among the isolates. The observed resistance, particularly to first-line antibiotics, underscores the urgent need for robust antimicrobial stewardship programs to guide effective treatment strategies.

Keywords: Antimicrobial susceptibility; Bacterial isolates; Multidrug resistance; Wound infection; Yemen.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants before enrollment in the study. Participants were assured of the confidentiality of their information and their right to withdraw from the study at any time without any consequences. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Antibiotic susceptibility patterns of bacterial isolates from wound infections in selected hospitals in Al-Bayda Governorate, Yemen. The bar charts illustrate the resistance (red) and sensitivity (green) percentages for antibiotics tested against (a) Staphylococcus aureus (10 antibiotics), (b) Escherichia coli (14 antibiotics), (c) Citrobacter freundii (14 antibiotics), and (d) Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12 antibiotics). Each antibiotic is represented as a single bar, divided into resistant and sensitive proportions. Antibiotics tested exclusively for specific bacteria are included only in their respective charts
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Heatmap of antibiotic resistance patterns among bacterial isolates from wound infections in selected hospitals in Al-Bayda Governorate, Yemen. The heatmap depicts the resistance percentages of antibiotics tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Citrobacter freundii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Each row represents an antibiotic, and each column represents an organism. The intensity of the red color indicates the level of resistance, with darker shades corresponding to higher resistance percentages. Antibiotics tested exclusively for specific bacteria are included only for those organisms
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