Laboratory investigation of hospital outbreak caused by two different multiresistant Acinetobacter calcoaceticus subsp. anitratus strains.
During a 7-month period, from December 1986 to June 1987, multiresistant strains of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus subsp. anitratus were isolated from 25 patients in a respiratory intensive care unit. The biochemical characteristics defined two groups of strains, group 1 (14 strains) and group 2 (11 strains). Both groups had the same biochemical characteristics, but group 2 strains could assimilate adipate and phenyl acetate. Moreover, of 16 antibiotics tested only netilmicin and imipenem had some inhibitory activity for group 1 strains; group 2 strains were susceptible to mezlocillin, piperacillin, and ticarcillin. Plasmid profiles of the groups were also different. The results of a laboratory investigation (biochemical characteristics, antibiotic susceptibility, and plasmid isolation) identified two different A. calcoaceticus subsp. anitratus strains as the causes of the outbreak.
Vila
J
J
Servei de Microbiologia i Parasitologia, Hospital Clinic i Provincial de Barcelona, Spain.
Almela
M
M
Jimenez de Anta
M T
MT
D000150:Acinetobacter / Q000187:drug effects*; D000151:Acinetobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010957:Plasmids; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D015183:Restriction Mapping
D004269:DNA, Bacterial