Three-dimensional (3D) computer-generated image of three multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. The artistic recreation was based upon scanning electron microscopic (SEM) imagery. Note the presence of numbers of thin, diaphanous fimbriae emanating from the organisms' cell wall, as well as a single, corkscrew-shaped flagellum, which provides for the bacteria's unipolar mode of motility. P. aeruginosa is a common cause of healthcare-associated infections including pneumonia, bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections, and surgical site infections. Some strains of P. aeruginosa have been found to be resistant to nearly all or all antibiotics including aminoglycosides, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, and carbapenems. |