Screening and deciphering antibiotic resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii: a state of the art

Acinetobacter baumannii, recognized as a serious threat in healthcare facilities, has the ability to develop resistance to antibiotics quite easily. This resistance is related to either gene acquisition (horizontal gene transfer) or mutations in the genome, leading to gene disruption, over- or down-expression of genes. The clinically relevant antibiotic resistances in A. baumannii include resistance to aminoglycosides, broad-spectrum cephalosporins, carbapenems, tigecycline and colistin, which are the last resort antibiotics. The intrinsic and acquired resistance mechanisms of A. baumannii are presented here, with special focus on β-lactam resistance. The most up-to-date techniques for identification, including phenotypical and molecular tests, and screening of those emerging resistance traits are also highlighted. The implementation of early detection and identification of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii is crucial to control their spread.