Acinetobacter baumannii: evolution of a global pathogen

Abstract

Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic nosocomial pathogen and one of the six most important multidrug-resistant microorganisms in hospitals worldwide. This human pathogen is responsible for a vast array of infections, of which ventilator-associated pneumonia and bloodstream infections are the most common, and mortality rates can reach 35%. Community-acquired infections have also been reported, but few strains have been recovered from environmental sources and infection reservoirs external to the hospital have not been identified. The majority of A. baumannii infections are caused by two main population clones with worldwide distribution. Infection outbreaks are often associated with multidrug resistance, including the recent emergence of strains resistant to all available antibiotics. Nevertheless, A. baumannii virulence traits and pathogenic potential have mostly remained elusive. The recent expansion of A. baumannii sequenced genomes has permitted the development of large-array phylogenomic and phenotypic analyses, which can offer valuable insights into the evolution and adaptation of A. baumannii as a human pathogen. This review summarises these recent advances, with particular focus on A. baumannii evolutionary and genomic aspects, and proposes new avenues of research.

Acinetobacter baumannii: biology and drug resistance — role of carbapenemases

“…Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria [17,18] as well as natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunami [19,20]. Epidemic spread of A. baumannii in above-mentioned extreme situations is attributed by some authors to substantial pressure on hospital emergency wards, which may result in failure in infection control precautions [7].…”

Characterization of Carbapenem Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii causing Ventilator associated Pneumonia in ICUs of Zagazig University Hospitals, Egypt

“…(Peleg et al, 2008). Multidrugresistant (MDR) A. baumannii isolates have been increasingly reported worldwide that are associated with an enhanced risk of mortality and prolonged durations of hospitalization (Antunes et al, 2014, Lemos et al, 2014.…”

Hospital Acquired Infection: Bacteriological Profile of Species from Environmental Surfaces of Cotonou 5 Hospital in South Benin (West Africa)

“…Acinetobacter baumannii can persist for three days to five months and can survive on dry surfaces (Kramer et al, 2006, Otter et al, 2011. It can cause high mortality, up to 35% (Antunes et al, 2014). The diversity of the germs identified in the analysis of hospital surfaces at Cotonou 5 Hospital provides information on its quality of hospital hygiene.…”