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