Acinetobacter skin colonization of US Army Soldiers.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether skin colonization with Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii complex exists in a population of healthy, nondeployed US Army soldiers and, if present, how it might relate to the infections seen in current war casualties.


METHODS
We sampled various skin sites of soldiers to test for the presence of A. calcoaceticus-baumannii complex and to establish the prevalence of colonization. We then used ribotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles to compare the isolates we recovered with A. calcoaceticus-baumannii complex isolates from injured soldiers.


METHODS
Fort Sam Houston, Texas.


METHODS
A population of healthy, nondeployed US Army soldiers in training.


RESULTS
A total of 17% of healthy soldiers were found to harbor A. calcoaceticus-baumannii complex. However, the strains differed from those recovered from injured soldiers.


CONCLUSIONS
Skin carriage of A. calcoaceticus-baumannii complex exists among soldiers before deployment. However, the difference in the strains isolated from healthy soldiers, compared with the strains from injured soldiers, makes it difficult to identify skin colonization as the source of infection.
Griffith
Matthew E
ME
Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234, USA. matthew.griffith@amedd.army.mil
Ceremuga
Julia M
JM
Ellis
Michael W
MW
Guymon
Charles H
CH
Hospenthal
Duane R
DR
Murray
Clinton K
CK
D040981:Acinetobacter baumannii / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016954:Acinetobacter calcoaceticus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology*