Isolation, Characterization and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Tsetse Flies Captured in Yankari Game Reserve, Nigeria

microbiota is involved in their vector competence and may help in developing novel disease control tools. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is reported to be ubiquitous in the natural environment, humans, and animals. It has been used for biocontrol in plants. Methods: Twenty-five live tsetse flies, collected from Yankari Game Reserve, Nigeria, were dissected under sterile conditions. The midgut was incubated successively in standard culture media. Suspected isolates were then subjected to biochemical tests. The 16S rRNA gene sequence was used to confirm the genotype. The positive isolate was also tested for susceptibility to 17 antimicrobials. Results: Eight (32%) of the 25 flies tested were positive for P. aeruginosa. They were positive for oxidase, catalase, citrate, and motility tests and negative for urease, indole, Methyl Red tests. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene confirmed the identity of the isolate, and the phylogenetic relationship with other strains was established. The isolate was sensitive to fluoroquinolones and intermediate to chloramphenicol. Drug resistance was observed against aminoglycosides, penicillin, erythromycin, clindamycin and imipenem Conclusion: The presence of P. aeruginosa in tsetse gut contributes to the repertoire of cultivable tsetse gut bacteria. It is crucial to investigate whether it could play a role in modulating the fly vector’s competence.