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. 2025 Jul 21;15(1):26392.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-10175-y.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa carriage and associated risk factors in healthy individuals and patients from Rotterdam, Rome, and Jakarta

Anneloes van Veen  1 , Selvi N Shahab  1   2 , Amber Rijfkogel  1 , Margreet C Vos  1 , Yulia Rosa Saharman  2 , Anis Karuniawati  2 , Silvia Zelli  3 , Desy De Lorenzis  3 , Giulia Menchinelli  4 , Giulia De Angelis  3   4 , Maurizio Sanguinetti  3   4 , Anne F Voor In 't Holt  1 , Juliëtte A Severin  5 ; SAMPAN Consortium
Collaborators, Affiliations

Pseudomonas aeruginosa carriage and associated risk factors in healthy individuals and patients from Rotterdam, Rome, and Jakarta

Anneloes van Veen et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa may colonize humans, however, epidemiological data are scarce. Here, we determined overall and body site-specific carriage rates and associated risk factors among healthy individuals and newly admitted patients in three major cities. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Rotterdam (The Netherlands), Rome (Italy), and Jakarta (Indonesia) between 2022-2024. Adult healthy individuals and newly admitted patients were asked to provide throat, navel, and rectal/perianal swabs, and to complete a questionnaire. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to determine factors associated with P. aeruginosa carriage. Carriage rates differed significantly between cities (p < 0.001), and were lowest in Rome (healthy individuals 4.8%; patients 6.5%), followed by Rotterdam (healthy individuals 12.0%; patients 12.7%), and Jakarta (healthy individuals 28.6%; patients 24.0%). In carriers from Rotterdam, P. aeruginosa was most often detected in perianal swabs, while mostly in throat swabs among carriers from Rome and Jakarta. P. aeruginosa carriage had a seasonal association in patients from Rotterdam (p = 0.014) and Jakarta (p = 0.020). Among patients from Jakarta, female sex (aOR 1.98, 95% CI 1.02-3.84; p = 0.045) was associated with P. aeruginosa carriage. Overall, P. aeruginosa carriage rates and colonized body sites differ between cities and are likely associated with climate differences. Our findings warrant setting-specific adaptations of screening strategies and surveillance programs.

Keywords: Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Carrier state; Humans; Prevalence; Risk factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study protocol was approved by the local Medical Ethics Review Committee of each participating hospital (Erasmus MC, MEC-2022-0014; Policlinico Gemelli, 0032025/22; Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo, KET-17/UN2.FI/ETIK/PPM.00.02/2021) and was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The SAMPAN study has been registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (registration number: NCT05282082). Written informed consent was obtained from all healthy individuals and patients enrolled in this study.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Sampling period in the three participating sites.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Flowcharts of healthy individual and patient enrolment. (A) Healthy individuals. HCW healthcare worker. (B) Patients upon hospital admission.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Forest plot of risk factors for carriage of Pseudomonas aeruginosa1. 1The findings for summer and spring are based solely on data from patients in Rome, as no corresponding data were available for patients in Rotterdam during these seasons.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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