The first Indian viridescent Acinetobacter lwoffii

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Clinical Diagnostics
• Antimicrobial Resistance

Background:

• Pathogenic organisms often produce pigments aiding in presumptive laboratory diagnosis.
• Pigmented microorganisms frequently exhibit antimicrobial resistance.
• Acinetobacter species are typically nonpigmented, with rare reports of brown, black, or indigo pigments.

Observation:

• This case details the isolation of a novel, dark green pigmented Acinetobacter lwoffii strain.
• The organism was identified from a central line blood culture in an Indian patient.
• This represents the first reported human case of "The Viridescent Acinetobacter lwoffii" in India.

Findings:

• The isolated Acinetobacter lwoffii strain produced a distinct dark green pigment.
• In vitro drug susceptibility testing revealed sensitivity to multiple antibiotic classes.
• In vivo patient compliance with treatment correlated well with the in vitro findings.

Implications:

• The identification of pigmented Acinetobacter species expands our understanding of microbial diversity.
• This case highlights that pigment production does not always correlate with drug resistance in Acinetobacter.
• The susceptibility profile offers valuable insights for managing infections caused by this specific pigmented strain.