A Master’s thesis in the Department of Life Sciences at the College of Education, Al-Qadisiyah University, entitled “Phenotypic and Genetic Pattern of Antibiotic Resistance and Some Virulence Factors in Enterobacter cloacae,” was submitted by researcher Furqan Jabal Kadhim and supervised by Professor Dr. Mithal Karim Abbas Al-Hassani.

The thesis aimed to isolate Enterobacter cloacae from various clinical cases and diagnose the bacteria phenotypically, in addition to using biochemical tests and molecular diagnosis using the 16S rRNA gene, and testing the bacteria’s susceptibility to some antibiotics.

The most important conclusions showed that 52% of the samples were positive for bacterial growth, reflecting a clear prevalence of the bacteria in the studied clinical samples, with a high percentage of Enterobacter genus isolates, reaching 36.54% of the total identified isolates.

The most important recommendation is that laboratories should integrate biofilm detection tests within their research. Routine diagnostic tests are essential for the early identification of high-risk Enterobacter spp. strains and to guide appropriate treatment strategies.