Acinetobacter baumanii

ACINETOBACTER

Characteristics

  • Gram -
  • Pleomorphic rod (rod in log phase, coccobacillary in stationary phase)
  • Encapsulated
  • Non-motile
  • Non-spore forming
  • Obligate aerobic
  • On gram stained smears it mimics the appearance of Niesseria and thus sometimes called (mima), but it is rapidly differentiated from Niesseria by negative Oxidase test.
  • Resistant to penicillin
  • Grow well on MacConkey Agar.

Acinetobacter baumanii

Characteristics

  • Opportunistic pathogen

Reservoirs

  • Humans (normal flora of the skin)
  • Water
  • Soil

Transmission

  • Direct contact
  • Droplet nuclei
  • Contaminated water
  • Contaminated soil
  • Contaminated fomites

Toxins

· LPS

Diseases

· Nosocomial Infections

· Wound infections (primarily if surgical)

· Bronchopneumonia (primarily if intubated)

· Peritonitis (primarily if continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis)

· Cystitis (primarily if urinary catheter)

· Meningitis (primarily if external ventricular drainage catheter)

· Septicemia

Treatment

· Carbapenems

· Polymixins