Acinetobacter baumannii: Epidemiology, Clinical Manifestations and Associated Infections

Abstract

Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative, non-flagellated bacterium belonging to the coccobacillus family that is readily found in the environment. It has rapidly evolved, from an apparently innocuous organism to an opportunistic pathogen causing infections in both the hospital and the community. A. baumannii has attained the status of a superbug being resistant to many, including the last-resort antimicrobial agents, such as carbapenems, colistin and tigecycline. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified A. baumannii as an immediate threat to public health, while the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for research and development of critically needed antibiotics to treat these infections. It has earned a place as one of the most problematic nosocomial ‘ESKAPE’ pathogens causing the WHO to designate it as first on the list of pathogens for which new antibiotics are urgently and critically needed. A. baumannii has several mechanisms with which it is able to develop resistance to different antibiotics. It persists in hospital environments due to its ability to form biofilms and resist drying and disinfection. There is genetic diversity among the isolates of A. baumannii, thus making the study of this organism even more complex and underscoring the importance of sustained surveillance and good antibiotic stewardship to safeguard the publics’ health.