Community-acquired in name only: A cluster of carbapenem-resistant<i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i>in a burn intensive care unit and beyond

Abstract

We report a cluster of highly resistant Acinetobacter baumannii that occurred in a burn ICU over 5 months and then spread to a separate ICU. Two case patients developed infections classified as community acquired under standard epidemiological definitions, but WGS revealed clonality, highlighting the risk of burn patients for early-onset nosocomial infections. An extensive investigation identified the role of environmental reservoirs.