Low concentrations of commercial alcohol hand rubs facilitate growth of and secretion of extracellular proteins by multidrug-resistant strains of Acinetobacter baumannii.
Acinetobacter baumannii is increasingly recognized as an important multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogen. Recent work has highlighted enhanced growth and heightened virulence in the presence of ethyl alcohols. As alcohol-based hand rubs (ABHRs) are extensively used in health care settings, the authors set out to determine whether the hand rubs could also influence the growth of prevalent multidrug-resistant strains circulating in UK hospitals. A significant increase in growth was observed when minimal media were supplemented with concentrations of 1% and lower of four commercially available hand rubs. In addition, growth in ABHR-supplemented media resulted in secretion of proteins into the culture supernatant. One of these was identified as OmpA, which is recognized as having emulsifying activity, which could potentially confer enhanced pathogenicity to A. baumannii.
Edwards
Justin
J
Department of Medical Microbiology, Division of Infection, Barts and The London NHS Trust, Whitechapel, London E1 1BB, UK.
Patel
Geeta
G
Proteomics and Peptide Synthesis Facility, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College, Hammersmith Campus, London W12 0NN, UK.
Wareham
David W
DW
Centre for Infectious Disease, Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, London E1 2AT, UK.|Department of Medical Microbiology, Division of Infection, Barts and The London NHS Trust, Whitechapel, London E1 1BB, UK.
D000151:Acinetobacter Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D040981:Acinetobacter baumannii / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D000438:Alcohols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000009:adverse effects; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D006235:Hand Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods
D000438:Alcohols; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local