Acinetobacter radioresistens infection with bacteremia and pneumonia

Abstract

<i>Acinetobacter</i> species are non-fermentative Gram-negative coccobacilli that are ubiquitous in the environment. The archetype pathogen within the genus is <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i>, however, other species have the potential to cause human infection, especially in the hospital setting. We describe a patient with infection due to <i><i>Acinetobacter</i> radioresistens</i>, a rare agent of human disease, which is often misidentified using biochemical methods. <i>Acinetobacter radioresistens</i> is the source of the Class D OXA-23 carbapenemase that can confer carbapenem resistance in <i>A. baumannii</i>. Therefore, accurate identification of <i>A. radioresistens</i> is important for clinical management and to potentially prevent the spread of carbapenem resistance.