title: Endemic Acinetobacter baumannii in a New York hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acinetobacter baumannii is an increasingly multidrug-resistant (MDR) cause of hospital-acquired infections, often associated with limited therapeutic options. We investigated A. baumannii isolates at a New York hospital to characterize genetic relatedness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty A. baumannii isolates from geographically-dispersed nursing units within the hospital were studied. Isolate relatedness was assessed by repetitive sequence polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR). The presence and characteristics of integrons were assessed by PCR. Metabolomic profiles of a subset of a prevalent strain isolates and sporadic isolates were characterized and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We detected a hospital-wide group of closely related carbapenem resistant MDR A. baumannii isolates. Compared with sporadic isolates, the prevalent strain isolates were more likely to be MDR (p = 0.001). Isolates from the prevalent strain carried a novel Class I integron sequence. Metabolomic profiles of selected prevalent strain isolates and sporadic isolates were similar.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The A. baumannii population at our hospital represents a prevalent strain of related MDR isolates that contain a novel integron cassette. Prevalent strain and sporadic isolates did not segregate by metabolomic profiles. Further study of environmental, host, and bacterial factors associated with the persistence of prevalent endemic A. baumannii strains is needed to develop effective prevention strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, United States of America. scottweisenberg@gmail.com
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Weisenberg
authors.forename: Audrey N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Schuetz
authors.forename: Elizabeth L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: Brain
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Eiss
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Behta
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saiman
authors.forename: Davise H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Larone
authors.forename: Stephen G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: Kyu Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Rhee
mesh_terms: D000151:Acinetobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D040981:Acinetobacter baumannii / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D032023:Integrons / Q000235:genetics; D055442:Metabolome; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents