The Results of Molecular Epidemiologic Investigations in Patients Infected with Strains of the Genus Acinetobacter

Abstract

Introduction: Acinetobacter spp. is an important opportunistic pathogen responsible for increasing number of nosocomial infections. The majority of infections are of epidemic origin, and treatment has become difficult because many strains are resistant to a wide range of antibiotics. The aim of this study was to investigate the local infections caused by various species of the genus Acinetobacter, occurring in the hospital wards IGiChP in periods of increased prevalence: August 2007 and February and March 2008. Material and methods: Twenty three strains of Acinetobacter spp. were isolated from 19 patients residing in the same period and the same hospital ward (2007–2013 strains from 11 patients, 2008–2010 strains from 8 patients). Acinetobacter isolates obtained from these patients were characterized by phenotypic methods and genotypically by arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR). Results: All strains of Acinetobacter (n = 23) were multi-drug resistant. Used AP-PCR method showed 10 genotypes among the all strains. Acinetobacter spp. strains cultivated in 2007 and 2008 belonged to one genotype, came from patients hospitalized on the same wards, which confirms the transmission of infection in the patientís residence. Conclusions: The same genotype Acinetobacter baumannii strains isolated from two patients in 2007, and two patients in 2008, showed the presence of bacteria in the hospital environment. In the present study, we also established the usefulness of AP-PCR in molecular epidemiological investigations.