What is Acinetobacter baumannii?: A gram negative bacteria instrinsically resistant to many antibiotics.
Where is it found in the environment? : In water and soil. The bacteria can survive for several days on many surfaces, including those difficult to control such as cell phones and keyboards.
Who gets it?: Generally speaking, only people who have weakened immune systems are at risk. The disease is generally presented as a nosocomial infection only, meaning it affects patients in hospitals. At least 240 US military personnel have had infections from the A. baumannii bacteria since the Iraq war began in 2003. A. baumanni was also seen among soldiers during the Vietnam war.
The disease accounts for only 1.3 per cent of all bloodstream infections in hospitals in the US, but the disease is on the increase in military healthcare facilities where personnel coming from Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan are being treated.
Why is A.baumannii a concern?: Treatment options are limited. The already antibiotic resistant bacteria is becoming resistant to more and more antibiotics. A.baumannii infection can lead to complications such as pneumonia, fever and septicaemia. In an article by Steve Mitchell for United Press International, an analyst says that when there is a really serious infectious doctors are left with nothing to fight them. Some A. baumannii strains are resistant to all of the treatments mankind has available today.
How is it treated?: The only drug that works on multi-resistant strains of A.baumannii is colistin (Polymyxin E) a very toxic drug. Colistin is not often administered because of its toxicity and it's not available in the US. Some A.baumannii is also susceptible to treatment with imipenem, also known as cilastatin or Primaxin and other types of carbapenems.
What are the recommendations to prevent A.baumannii infection?: Infection control by good hand hygiene and disease isolation. Groin, axillary and wound cultures in military personnel should be monitored carefully for A.baumannii.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control. Morbity and Mortality Weekly Report, November 19, 2004. (53)45: 1063-1066.
Borer A, Gilad J, Smolyakov R, Eskira S, Peled N, Porath N, et al. "Cell phones and Acinetobacter transmission". Emerging Infectious Diseases. Vol. 11 No. 7. July 2005.
Centers for Disease Control. "Drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Infections in Healthcare Settings" Released Sep 24 2004.