Molecular characterization of Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from Iraqi hospital environment

Healthcare-associated items are a common source of acquired infections, and hospital-acquired infections cause significant mortality and morbidity worldwide. Acinetobacter baumannii is the most prevalent infection-causing organism in the hospital environment. Hospital articles and objects are the main sources of infection with the ability to transmit some of the pathogenic microorganisms such as A. baumannii, which is considered a serious problem in therapeutic treatments. In the current study, we isolated A. baumannii from hospital sources and evaluated its antibiotic resistance, virulence factors and resistance gene determinants. The isolates were identified phenotypically as well as genotypically using PCR. In addition, their capability for biofilm formation and ten other virulence factors were measured. Of 112 samples, 21 showed growth of the target organism. Apart from A. baumannii, isolates of Candida albicans, Staphylococcus sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were also grown. Antibiotic susceptibility test results considered all the A. baumannii to be multidrug-resistant isolates with the highest resistance being 100% to gentamycin, ciprofloxacin; the most effective antibiotics with 100% susceptibility was colistin and tigecycline. All A. baumannii isolates had MIC for ceftriaxone >32 mg/L. All A. baumannii isolates from the hospital environment showed multidrug resistance and had many virulence factors. They have long-term resistance to dry conditions and cause a serious public health issue.