PLoS ONE (Jan 2022)

Acinetobacter baumannii complex, national laboratory-based surveillance in South Africa, 2017 to 2019

  • Olga Perovic,
  • Adrian Duse,
  • Vindana Chibabhai,
  • Marianne Black,
  • Mohamed Said,
  • Elizabeth Prentice,
  • Jeannette Wadula,
  • Yesholata Mahabeer,
  • K. Swe Swe Han,
  • Ruth Mogokotleng,
  • Wilhelmina Strasheim,
  • Michelle Lowe,
  • Sabelle Jallow,
  • Husna Ismail,
  • for GERMS-SA

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 8

Abstract

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Objective We aimed to provide an analysis of A. baumannii complex (ABC) isolated from blood cultures in South Africa. Materials and methods ABC surveillance was conducted from 1 April 2017 to 30 September 2019 at 19 hospital sites from blood cultures of any age and sex. Organism identification was performed using the MALDI-TOF MS and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), MicroScan Walkaway System. We confirmed colistin resistance with Sensititre, FRCOL panel, and selected for whole-genome sequencing. Results During the study period, we identified 4822 cases of ABC, of which 2152 cases were from 19 enhanced surveillance sites were reported during the enhanced surveillance period (1 August 2018 to 30 September 2019). Males accounted for 54% (2611/4822). Of the cases with known age, 41% (1968/4822) were infants (Conclusion Our surveillance data contributed to a better understanding of the natural course of A. baumannii disease, the patient characteristics among infants, and the level of resistance. At least two-thirds of the isolates were extensively drug-resistant, and four percent of isolates were resistant to colistin.