Misidentification of acinetobacter baumannii as alcaligenes faecalis by VITEK 2 system; case report

Abstract

Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is widely known as an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that causes infection more frequently among immunocompromised individuals. Our case demonstrated the limitation of the current VITEK 2 system for the idendification of A. baumannii. Four clinical isolates of A. baumannii were identified as Alcaligenes faecalis by the VITEK 2 system. Misidentification might lead to unnecessary tests and inappropriate treatments. Additional methods appear to be helpful for the accurate identification of A. baumannii for clinical microbiology laboratories.