At the 45th Interdisciplinary Conference on Antimicrobial Drugs and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), G. Seifert (Germany) and E. Carmeli (Israel) made presentations on infections caused by microorganisms of the genus Acinetobacter .

Acinetobacter microorganisms are immobile bacteria that can survive on a dry surface for up to 4 weeks. Acinetobacteria are a common cause of nosocomial infections and can be figuratively described as "Gram negative MRSA". The most common species is A.baumannii, often causing outbreaks during natural disasters.

Acinetobacter is found in Europe, Asia and America. The problem of the multidrug resistance of these microorganisms is becoming more and more urgent, there are strains resistant to all antimicrobial agents. In infections caused by such strains, the effect of colistin (polymyxin E), a drug discovered 50 years ago and not used today due to nephrotoxicity, can be noted.

Over the past decade, Acinetobacter spp. has become the leading cause of respiratory pneumonia and the leading cause of bacteremia in Israel. The spread of this pathogen happened quickly. 7-8 years ago in Israel, there was no case of infection caused by Acinetobacter spp., And now only at the Tel Aviv Medical Center, there are about 500 cases per year, 50 of them fatal.

Following a retrospective cohort study of 236 patients, it was found that infections caused by multidrug-resistant strains of A.baumannii had a less favorable outcome. In the group of patients from whom multidrug-resistant strains were isolated, the mortality rate was 36%, while in the case of infection with a non-multidrug-resistant strain, the mortality was 21% (p = 0.02).

Most cases are linked to nosocomial infections, which means that they could be prevented. However, outbreaks of this infection in Israel mainly occur during the provision of medical care after suicide bombings, when the implementation of infection control measures is impossible.

The results of these infections are unfavorable because there is no effective drug for the treatment of these diseases. Acinetobacter is very difficult to eradicate. At the medical center mentioned, the eradication measures for MRSA and Clostridium difficile have been successful, but it is Acinetobacter spp. failed.

E. Harris (United States) in his report said that at the present time it was "extremely necessary" to look for preventive measures and new drugs for treatment. New antibiotics active against Gram-negative pathogens are needed, although such drugs are not currently being developed.