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. 1989 May;27(5):1086–1089. doi: 10.1128/jcm.27.5.1086-1089.1989

Laboratory investigation of hospital outbreak caused by two different multiresistant Acinetobacter calcoaceticus subsp. anitratus strains.

J Vila 1, M Almela 1, M T Jimenez de Anta 1
PMCID: PMC267488  PMID: 2745682

Abstract

During a 7-month period, from December 1986 to June 1987, multiresistant strains of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus subsp. anitratus were isolated from 25 patients in a respiratory intensive care unit. The biochemical characteristics defined two groups of strains, group 1 (14 strains) and group 2 (11 strains). Both groups had the same biochemical characteristics, but group 2 strains could assimilate adipate and phenyl acetate. Moreover, of 16 antibiotics tested only netilmicin and imipenem had some inhibitory activity for group 1 strains; group 2 strains were susceptible to mezlocillin, piperacillin, and ticarcillin. Plasmid profiles of the groups were also different. The results of a laboratory investigation (biochemical characteristics, antibiotic susceptibility, and plasmid isolation) identified two different A. calcoaceticus subsp. anitratus strains as the causes of the outbreak.

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Selected References

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