title: Multi-drug-resistant Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex infection outbreak in dogs and cats in a veterinary hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Members of the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex cause severe outbreaks in humans, and are increasingly reported in animals.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  A retrospective study, describing a severe outbreak in dogs and cats caused by a multidrug resistant member of the Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex in a veterinary hospital, between July 2010 and November 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 19 dogs and 4 cats. Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex bacteria were isolated from urine (9 animals), respiratory tract (11), tissues (3) and blood (1). The most common infection-associated findings included fever, purulent discharge from endotracheal tubes, hypotension, and neutropaenia. Infections led to pneumonia, urinary tract infection, cellulitis and sepsis. Infection was transmitted in the intensive care unit, where 22 of 23 animals were initially hospitalised. The mortality rate was 70% (16 of 23 animals), and was higher in cases of respiratory infection compared to other infections. Aggressive environmental cleaning and disinfection, with staff education for personal hygiene and antisepsis, sharply decreased the infection incidence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health care-associated outbreaks with multidrug resistant Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-Acinetobacter baumannii complex in dogs and cats are potentially highly fatal and difficult to eradicate, warranting monitoring, antiseptic techniques and judicious antibiotic use.
authors.affiliation: Hebrew University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel. sharon.kuzi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan 5020000, Israel.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.affiliation: Hebrew University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kahane
authors.affiliation: National Center of Infection Control, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Hashomer 52621, Israel.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.affiliation: National Center of Infection Control, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Hashomer 52621, Israel.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hussein
authors.affiliation: Hebrew University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Segev
authors.affiliation: Hebrew University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aroch
mesh_terms: D000150:Acinetobacter / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000151:Acinetobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016954:Acinetobacter calcoaceticus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002415:Cats; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004285:Dogs; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D005260:Female; D006762:Hospitals, Animal; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies