The Master’s thesis, titled “A Molecular Study of Some Antibiotic Resistance Genes and Virulence Factors in Proteus mirabilis Isolated from Urinary Tract Infections,” was submitted to the Department of Life Sciences at the College of Education, Al-Qadisiyah University. The thesis was presented by researcher Ru’a Muhammad Jassim Muhammad and supervised by Professor Dr. Mithal Karim Abbas Al-Hassani.

The thesis aimed to isolate and phenotypically identify Proteus mirabilis from inpatients and outpatients at Al-Diwaniyah Teaching Hospital, the Maternity and Children’s Hospital, and Al-Hussein Children’s Hospital in Al-Diwaniyah. The diagnosis was confirmed using the VITEK system.

The main conclusion is that P. mirabilis is a known causative agent of hospital-acquired infections. This bacterium was isolated from patients with urinary tract infections, and phylogenetic analysis based on the S rRNA16 gene, showed a clear genetic similarity between local and global isolates, supporting the confirmation of the genetic identity of the studied bacteria.

Key recommendations include adopting molecular diagnostic techniques for identifying isolated bacteria instead of traditional methods, as these offer higher accuracy in identifying strains, especially those with uncommon or chemically distinct characteristics. Further studies on the pathogenic bacteria “P. mirabilis” using molecular detection techniques are also necessary to enhance understanding of its role in various diseases.