Acinetobacter baumannii is a typically short, almost round, rod-shaped (coccobacillus) Gram-negative bacterium. It can be an opportunistic pathogen in humans, affecting people with compromised immune systems, and has emerged to become a predominant cause of nosocomial infections in the United States and across the globe.
Transmission:
The majority of these outbreaks occur with patient-to-patient transmission. However there is a risk of occupational transmission of A. baumannii from a patient to a health care worker (HCW).
Infected patients spread Acinetobacter to the air of intensive care unit (ICU), which can remain in the air for about four weeks and can infect prospective patients more than three months later.
Symptoms:
Symptoms of A. baumannii infections are often indistinguishable from other opportunistic infections caused by other opportunistic bacteria – including Klebsiella pneumoniae and Streptococcus pneumoniae. These include:
- Pneumonia
- Bloodstream Infections
- Meningitis
- Wound and surgical site infections, including flesh eating bacterium necrotizing fasciitis
- Urinary Tract Infections
