engleski

The natural habitats of clinically important Acinetobacter baumannii

Since the 1990s Acinetobacter baumannii appeared as a leading cause of nosocomial infections, but also of sporadic acute community-acquired infections. As a major difference to other species of the genus Acinetobacter, A. baumannii is not normally found in the environment outside of hospital settings. The significance of environmental isolates in the epidemiology of A. baumannii is under a great concern worldwide. In this study the overview of the presence of A. baumannii in natural environment in Croatia is given. A single multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolate was recovered near the City of Pula from acid paleosol influenced by illegally disposed solid waste. Two MDR and one extensively drug-resistant (XDR) isolates were recovered from technosol at a dump site situated above the City of Rijeka. Ten XDR isolates were recovered from hospital wastewater in Zagreb. Four XDR isolates were recovered from water of Sava River downstream of the City of Zagreb. At the municipal wastewater treatment plant in Zagreb 5 MDR, 95 XDR and 2 pandrug-resistant isolates were recovered, but 17 antibiotic-susceptible isolates were also registered. Antibiotic-resistant environmental isolates of A. baumannii shared features characteristic for clinical isolates: affiliation to IC1 or 2, and carbapenem-resistance mediated by acquired blaOXA72 and blaOXA23 genes. Clinically relevant A. baumannii are present in natural environment influenced by human solid and liquid waste. Natural environment could represent a secondary habitat of A. baumannii.

Acinetobacter baumannii, environment, wastewater, soil

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