Register      Login
Microbiology Australia Microbiology Australia Society
Microbiology Australia, bringing Microbiologists together
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Acinetobacter baumannii and hospital infections

Iain J Abbott A and Anton Y Peleg B C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Microbiology
Alfred Hospital
Melbourne, Vic. 3181, Australia
Tel: +61 3 9076 3495
Email: iainabbott@gmail.com

B Department of Microbiology
Monash University
Clayton, Vic. 3800, Australia

C Department of Infectious Diseases
Alfred Hospital
Melbourne, Vic. 3181, Australia
Tel: +61 3 9902 9159
Email: anton.peleg@monash.edu

Microbiology Australia 35(1) 54-56 https://doi.org/10.1071/MA14015
Published: 4 February 2014

Abstract

Acinetobacter baumannii is now considered a highly important pathogen implicated in hospital infections, especially in critically unwell patients in the intensive care unit. The presence of mechanical ventilator tubing, central venous lines, urinary catheters and exposure to broad-spectrum antibiotics are important risk factors. The combination of intrinsic and acquired antibiotic resistance mechanisms, virulence and survival factors, and the ability to cause widespread hospital outbreaks, make this a truly challenging pathogen in hospital-acquired infections.


References

[1]  Chang, H.C. et al. (2005) Species-level identification of isolates of the Acinetobacter calcoaceticusAcinetobacter baumannii complex by sequence analysis of the 16S-23S rRNA gene spacer region. J. Clin. Microbiol. 43, 1632–1639.
Species-level identification of isolates of the Acinetobacter calcoaceticusAcinetobacter baumannii complex by sequence analysis of the 16S-23S rRNA gene spacer region.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2MXjvF2ltLs%3D&md5=63b87d019665df298ef0129746b752e2CAS | 15814977PubMed |

[2]  Nemec, A. et al. (2011) Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex with the proposal of Acinetobacter pittii sp. nov. (formerly Acinetobacter genomic species 3) and Acinetobacter nosocomialis sp. nov. (formerly Acinetobacter genomic species 13TU). Res. Microbiol. 162, 393–404.
Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex with the proposal of Acinetobacter pittii sp. nov. (formerly Acinetobacter genomic species 3) and Acinetobacter nosocomialis sp. nov. (formerly Acinetobacter genomic species 13TU).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3MXlsFGltLo%3D&md5=0d70ef4f9a77a1eb0805f3bb6fef0753CAS | 21320596PubMed |

[3]  Chuang, Y.C. et al. (2011) Influence of genospecies of Acinetobacter baumannii complex on clinical outcomes of patients with acinetobacter bacteremia. Clin. Infect. Dis. 52, 352–360.
Influence of genospecies of Acinetobacter baumannii complex on clinical outcomes of patients with acinetobacter bacteremia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 21193494PubMed |

[4]  Lee, Y.T. et al. (2013) Bacteremic nosocomial pneumonia caused by Acinetobacter baumannii and Acinetobacter nosocomialis: a single or two distinct clinical entities? Clin. Microbiol. Infect. 19, 640–645.
Bacteremic nosocomial pneumonia caused by Acinetobacter baumannii and Acinetobacter nosocomialis: a single or two distinct clinical entities?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 22967204PubMed |

[5]  Sedo, O. et al. (2011) Optimization of mass spectral features in MALDI-TOF MS profiling of Acinetobacter species. Syst. Appl. Microbiol. 34, 30–34.
Optimization of mass spectral features in MALDI-TOF MS profiling of Acinetobacter species.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3MXit1Wmt78%3D&md5=667772594dc6f042ce855373949b4757CAS | 21237605PubMed |

[6]  Schuetz, A.N. et al. (2012) Identification of a novel Acinetobacter baumannii clone in a US hospital outbreak by multilocus polymerase chain reaction/electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry. Diagn. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 72, 14–19.
Identification of a novel Acinetobacter baumannii clone in a US hospital outbreak by multilocus polymerase chain reaction/electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3MXhs1SlsL%2FN&md5=447cfb237be5188f7292ceededbf3596CAS | 22015323PubMed |

[7]  Bartual, S.G. et al. (2005) Development of a multilocus sequence typing scheme for characterization of clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii. J. Clin. Microbiol. 43, 4382–4390.
Development of a multilocus sequence typing scheme for characterization of clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2MXhtVOrtL3F&md5=cb73683776a7f5760c587c8c046f73dbCAS | 16145081PubMed |

[8]  Hamouda, A. et al. (2010) Characterization of epidemiologically unrelated Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from four continents by use of multilocus sequence typing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and sequence-based typing of bla(OXA-51-like) genes. J. Clin. Microbiol. 48, 2476–2483.
Characterization of epidemiologically unrelated Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from four continents by use of multilocus sequence typing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and sequence-based typing of bla(OXA-51-like) genes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3cXhtVaktb%2FE&md5=a3788ad70aca9809df64ddcd951aa1b6CAS | 20421437PubMed |

[9]  Perez, F. et al. (2007) Global challenge of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 51, 3471–3484.
Global challenge of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2sXhtFGhtbrK&md5=0cf83fc7dce00403160941341786ada9CAS | 17646423PubMed |

[10]  Di Popolo, A. et al. (2011) Molecular epidemiological investigation of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains in four Mediterranean countries with a multilocus sequence typing scheme. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. 17, 197–201.
Molecular epidemiological investigation of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains in four Mediterranean countries with a multilocus sequence typing scheme.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC3M7itlOquw%3D%3D&md5=c4d5892b4bf25acd9b1c1a226e013ff9CAS | 20456455PubMed |

[11]  Perez, F. et al. (2011) Are we closing in on an ‘elusive enemy’? The current status of our battle with Acinetobacter baumannii. Virulence 2, 86–90.
Are we closing in on an ‘elusive enemy’? The current status of our battle with Acinetobacter baumannii.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 21499025PubMed |

[12]  European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (2013) Point prevalence survey of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use in European acute care hospitals. ECDC, Stockholm.

[13]  European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (2013) Carbapenemase-producing bacteria in Europe: interim results from the European Survey on carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (EuSCAPE) project. ECDC, Stockholm.

[14]  The Center for Disease Dynamics Economics & Policy website. http://www.cddep.org/ResistanceMap/bug-drug/AB-CP (accessed 14 December 2013).

[15]  Mendes, R.E. et al. (2010) Comprehensive assessment of tigecycline activity tested against a worldwide collection of Acinetobacter spp. (2005-2009). Diagn. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 68, 307–311.
Comprehensive assessment of tigecycline activity tested against a worldwide collection of Acinetobacter spp. (2005-2009).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3cXhtlSqurzL&md5=4d62f04ca1d9a4177153905b460ee84bCAS | 20955916PubMed |

[16]  Bonnin, R.A. et al. (2013) Screening and deciphering antibiotic resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii: a state of the art. Expert Rev. Anti Infect. Ther. 11, 571–583.
Screening and deciphering antibiotic resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii: a state of the art.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3sXptVOqt7o%3D&md5=b38bff9517401f4adcb23ad093e30f62CAS | 23750729PubMed |

[17]  Abbott, I. et al. (2013) Carbapenem resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii: laboratory challenges, mechanistic insights and therapeutic strategies. Expert Rev. Anti Infect. Ther. 11, 395–409.
Carbapenem resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii: laboratory challenges, mechanistic insights and therapeutic strategies.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3sXlsFSit7Y%3D&md5=078016cccf656869eda9c8d3bc7de184CAS | 23566149PubMed |

[18]  Tacconelli, E. et al. (2014) ESCMID guidelines for the management of the infection control measures to reduce transmission of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria in hospitalized patients. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. 20, 1–55.
ESCMID guidelines for the management of the infection control measures to reduce transmission of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria in hospitalized patients.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 24329732PubMed |