Definition | Acinetobacter | Futura Health

September 23, 2022

Acinetobacter is a kind of bacteria Gram negative, with a metabolism strict aerobic, i.e. without fermentation of glucose. Acinetobacter comes in the form of a bacillus coccoid, immobile, because devoid flagellum. The term Acinetobacter comes from greek acineto, which means motionless.

Bacteria Acinetobacter are found in different environments: on the skin, in the soil, in water, on plants … They can be part of the oral and fecal flora, and can be cultivated in the laboratory. Genre Acinetobacter includes different cash, whose Acinetobacter baumanii and Acinetobacter chalcoaceticus, which can cause Nosocomial infections.

 Acinetobacter baumanii and nosocomial infections

Certain bacteria Acinetobacter, in particular the species Acinetobacter baumanii, are responsible forantibiotic resistant nosocomial infections, for example in intensive care units. These bacteria can also infect immunocompromised patients. Acinetobacter is naturally resistant to certain antibiotics but can also acquire resistances.

Certain strains ofAcinetobacter baumanii are resistant to most antibiotics beta-lactams because they produce beta-lactamases at spectrum expanded (BLSE). Bacteria Acinetobacter is present in the environment and does not cause pathology in healthy people. But it promotes serious infections in fragile patients, such as septicemia and pneumonia, potentially fatal.

In 2017, theWHO published a list of bacteria resistant to antibiotics for which it becomes urgent to find new treatments. Acinetobacter baumanii, resistant to carbapenems, is among the three strains whose priority is considered critical. Acinetobacter baumanii owes its name to microbiologists Paul and Lisa Baumann. In 2016, the American academic Tom Patterson, who suffered from infection due to Acinetobacter baumanii resistant to antibiotics, was treated with phages.

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Bacteriophages to counter bacteria resistant to antibiotics Antibiotics are less and less effective because bacteria are more and more resistant. The Institut Pasteur therefore works daily on solutions, one of which uses bacteriophages, viruses that infect only bacteria. Laurent Debarbieux, head of the bacteriophage-bacteria interactions in animals group, talks about this in more detail during this interview.

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