A new strain of the superbug Acinetobacter baumannii, discovered in a Malaysian hospital, is not only resistant to antibiotics but also possesses the capability to spread and evolve further resistance.
This alarming development was highlighted in recent research that identified the virulent strain as a potential global health threat.
Dr David Cleary from the University of Birmingham, who co-authored the study, stated: “Our study provides further evidence that the same dangerous family of A. baumannii bacteria keeps spreading in hospitals.
“Despite its importance, there is very little information on A. baumannii from low- and middle-income countries.”
Acinetobacter baumannii typically causes skin or wound infections, particularly in ill patients, and can lead to other serious health issues such as pneumonia, septicaemia, and urinary tract infections.
Hand hygiene is pinpointed by the NHS as crucial to halt Acinetobacter’s spread as it’s usually transmitted through the hands or equipement being handled.
Telltale infection indicators include fever, pain or redness surrounding a wound, or discharge of thick, foul smelling pus from the wound.
NHS patient information underscores the importance of seeking medical advice if such symptoms emerge: “If you have any of these signs or symptoms, please contact your doctor for diagnosis. Acinetobacter does not usually pose a threat to healthy people, hospital staff or to family members or close contacts of an infected patient.”
The World Health Organisation has labelled it a “critical priority pathogen” due to its prevalence in healthcare settings and its multi-drug resistance.
Dr Cleary added: “Understanding how the disease evolves is critical in helping to prevent the spread of disease, as well as developing and optimising treatments. A. baumannii keeps evolving new resistance tricks and low- and middle-income countries need more tools to track it,” Dr Cleary added, noting the bacteria’s classification as a “significant threat to public health” by News Medical.
Acinetobacter baumannii typically causes skin or wound infections, particularly in ill patients, and can lead to other serious health issues such as pneumonia, septicaemia, and urinary tract infections.
The study, published in the journal Microbial Genomics, analysed 126 samples of bacteria from a hospital in Terengganu, Malaysia between 2011 and 2020, and showed most were resistant to several antibiotics, including the preferred treatments currently used to fight the infections.
