What is  Acinetobacter baumannii? 

Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen that lives on the human skin and preferentially colonizes aquatic environments. This pathogen has emerged as a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) such as bloodstream infections, pneumonia, meningitis, wound infections, and urinary tract infections (UTIs). This bacterium can be spread to susceptible persons by person-to-person contact or contact with contaminated surfaces. The pathogen can develop resistance to multiple antibiotics, making patient treatment more difficult. Treatment of these infections may require colistin and tigecycline. However, an increase in carbapenem and colistin resistance in A. baumannii have been observed.