Phenotypical and Molecular Characterization of <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> Isolated from Hospitalized Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil

Phenotypical and Molecular Characterization of <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> Isolated from Hospitalized Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil

The goal of the present study was to analyze <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> strains isolated from hospitalized patients in the period of the COVID-19 pandemic by phenotypic and molecular methods and evaluate their antimicrobial resistance patterns and biofilm production. Forty-seven stra...

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Main Authors: Paula Araujo de Souza, Milena Cristina Nunes dos Santos, Rebeca Vitória da Silva Lage de Miranda, Luciana Veloso da Costa, Raphael Paiva Paschoal da Silva, Cátia Aparecida Chaia de Miranda, Greice Maria Silva da Conceição, Stephen James Forsythe, Maria Helena Simões Villas Bôas, Marcelo Luiz Lima Brandão
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Life
Subjects:
<i>A. baumannii</i>
COVID-19
antimicrobial resistant
biofilm
FTIR
MALDI TOF/MS
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/15/4/623
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Summary:The goal of the present study was to analyze <i>Acinetobacter baumannii</i> strains isolated from hospitalized patients in the period of the COVID-19 pandemic by phenotypic and molecular methods and evaluate their antimicrobial resistance patterns and biofilm production. Forty-seven strains were isolated in 2021–2022 from a hospital in Brazil, and were identified by VITEK<sup>®</sup>2, MALDI-TOF/MS (VITEK MS<sup>®</sup> and MALDI Biotyper<sup>®</sup>), and 16S rRNA sequencing. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was applied for typing and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). In addition, biofilm formation and disinfectant tolerance tests were used. All methods accurately identified all the <i>A. baumannii</i> strains. FTIR typing identified 23 different profiles and 11 clusters, as well as differentiated between the strains from patients with and without COVID-19. Most strains exhibited resistance to the drugs tested, 91.5% of the strains were classified as XDR, 6.4% of the strains were MDR and only 1 strain was classified as non-MDR. Over half of the strains (n = 27, 57.4%) produced biofilms on polystyrene. Sodium hypochlorite (1.0%/15 min) was the best option for effective disinfection. Overall, this study will lay the foundation for further research on effective cleaning protocols for the eradication of <i>A. baumannii</i> biofilms, as well as the use of FTIR for pathogen surveillance in healthcare settings.
ISSN:2075-1729

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