Acinetobacter Baumanni Introduction: Acinetobacter Baumanni is a pathogenic bacteria that is an aerobic, gram-negative bacillus.

It is resistant to most antibiotics and forms opportunistic infections as it flourishes in immunocompromised hosts. It has received attention in recent years due to the infections it has caused among soldiers in Iraq, for which it is nicknamed Iraqibacter. Characteristics: Of the Acinetobacter genus, A. Baumannii is the most relevant human pathogen. A baumanii is present in the water and soil and prefers to colonize in aquatic environments. It was originally susceptible to common antibiotics, but it is now multidrug-resistant. One of the first acientobactor was found in the soil in 1911. It is able to survive on hospital surfaces in the hospital that are abiotic, wet, or dry. A.baumannii is characterized by a single circular chromosome that contains 3,976,747 base pairs- 3,454 of which are used for protein codeing. Of the 45 resistant genes of one strain of A.Baumanii , 25 genes code for resistance against many antibiotics including tetracycline and chloramphenicol. The morphology of this pathogen is coccobaciili (sphere and rod shaped) and appears similar to haemophilus influenzae on the gram stain. They are generally non-motile and features of its outer cell membrane consist of porins and efflux channels with contribute to anitbiotic resistance. These porins are smaller and fewer than other Gram negative bacteria which decreased the cell permeability and increased antibiotic resistance. Its cell wall is not static as it changes in response to environmental conditions. Because of this, the cell wall thickness can vary in dry conditions and changes in shape of A. Baumanni from rod shaped to cocci through a decrease in cell division. It is nonfermentative in glucose and oxidase negative. The antibiotic resistant strains of A. Baumanii produce beta-lactamases which hydrolyze penicillins that in turn prevent antibiotic function. Pathology/Transmission: Baumanii causes 2-10% of all Gram-negative injections in the U.S. and Europe and generally causes infections to patients with weakened immune systems as mentioned earlier. A. Baumanii causes infections such as pneumonia, meningitis, septicemia and urinary and respiratory tract infections can be received through infected catheters in the hospital. The ability of this pathogen to cause untreatable infections is due to a variety of antibiotic resistance genes and cell surface structures that prevent the influx of antibiotics. These infections are uncommon, but when they occur, organ systems with a high fluid content (such as respiratory tract, cerebro-spinal fluid, and urinary tract) are usually involved. The number of nosocomial infections caused by A. baumanni has increased in recent years. This bacteria can live up to five months on undisturbed surfaces, depending on the humidity levels. In 2003, reports surfaced that A. baumannii was responsible for preventing the recovery and causing the death of many injured soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. It was previously believed to have originated in the soil of Iraq and Afghanistan, but further analysis revealed that this pathogen had resided in the ERs, ICUs and operating rooms of the combat support hospitals. With over one-hundred different strains, studies have shown that strains from A. baumanii infected soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are highly resistant to a variety of currently

available antibiotics compared with strains isolated from US soldiers and civilians who have not been deployed to either country. Works Cited 1. 2. 3. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/236891-overview http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Acinetobacter_baumannii www.militarycme.com/articles/clinical/760