Three Novel Acinetobacter baumannii Plasmid Replicase-Homology Groups Inferred from the Analysis of a Multidrug-Resistant Clinical Strain Isolated in Argentina

Abstract

Acinetobacter baumannii is an important opportunistic pathogen responsible for a variety of nosocomial infections. Its success in the hospital environment obeys to multiple causes, among them, the ability to resist antimicrobial compounds. It can rapidly evolve Multidrug Resistance (MDR) when confronted with antibiotic therapy and in particular, the emerging resistance to last-resort carbapenems represents a major concern worldwide. The most frequent cause of carbapenem resistance in A. baumannii is represented nowadays by the acquired Carbapenem-Hydrolyzing Class D β-Lactamases (CHDL) of the OXA-23, OXA-40 and OXA-58 groups, with the respective blaOXA genes generally embedded in distinct genetic structures carried by plasmids.