title: Outbreak of infection with Acinetobacter strain RUH 1139 in an intensive care unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate a nosocomial outbreak of infection with Acinetobacter strain RUH 1139, in the unit of high neonatal risk at University Hospital of The Andes (Merida, Venezuela).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight Acinetobacter strains were detected by biochemical testing and further identified to the species level by examination of the gene encoding 16S ribosomal DNA, using restriction analysis and gene sequencing. The epidemiological relationship between the strains was established by means of repetitive extragenic palindromic polymerase chain reaction (REP-PCR) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined by disk diffusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The spread of an epidemic strain of Acinetobacter RUH 1139 among 16 patients over a period of 3 months was demonstrated using antimicrobial susceptibility testing, PFGE, and REP-PCR. The epidemic strain was also isolated in 2 of the sampled parenteral nutrition solutions. All the patients involved in the infection outbreak had received parenteral solution. Moreover, strains of Acinetobacter RUH 1139 with another PFGE pattern and of A. baumannii were sporadically isolated before and during the outbreak.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first description of an outbreak of infection with this genospecies of Acinetobacter in which parenteral nutrition solution was potentially the infection source.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Bacteriologia Dr. Roberto Gabaldon, Departamento de Microbiologia y Parasitologia, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioanalisis, Universidad de Los Andes, Merida, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Elsa Zuleima Salazar
authors.initials: EZ
authors.lastname: De Vegas
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nieves
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Araque
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Velasco
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vila
mesh_terms: D000150:Acinetobacter / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000151:Acinetobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition / Q000009:adverse effects; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014687:Venezuela / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents