Community-Acquired Bacteremic <i>Acinetobacter</i> Pneumonia in Tropical Australia Is Caused by Diverse Strains of <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> , with Carriage in the Throat in At-Risk Groups

Abstract

Acinetobacter isolates from eight subjects with community-acquired Acinetobacter pneumonia (CAAP), a major cause of fatal community-acquired pneumonia in tropical Australia, were phenotypically and genotypically confirmed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis to be broadly diverse Acinetobacter baumannii strains. Wet-season throat carriage of A. baumannii was found in 10% of community residents with excess levels of alcohol consumption, the major at-risk group for CAAP.