The probability of the Acinetobacter baumannii strain clonal spreading in donor-recipient systems, as confirmed by the molecular analysis of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA

Abstract

Acinetobacter baumannii is an important pathogen widely distributed in the hospital environment and responsible for a variety of nosocomial infections. This micro-organism especially affects patients with impaired host defenses in the intensive care unit. It has been implicated in severe nosocomial infections including bloodstream infections, pneumonia, and meningitides. Those infections are often outbreaks caused by a single clone spreading. The aim of our study was an epidemiological analysis of Acinetobacter baumannii strains isolated from hospitalized liver/kidney transplant donors and recipients. The analyzed material for epidemiological test included 13 A. baumannii strains isolated in 2010 from eight liver/kidney donors and 5 organ recipients. The epidemiological analysis of the isolates was performed by the use of the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-polymerase chain reaction method to determine their genetic relatedness. We isolated 9 A. baumannii strains from 8 organ donors. Among this group of isolates, four strains showed the same fingerprints that were classified as one RAPD type 1. The remaining donor isolates revealed differentiated patterns. All strains isolated from recipients formed distinct RAPD types, one of which was identical to the group of four donor strains (RAPD type 1). The clonal spreading of A. baumannii strains was not observed among recipients but we noted a single case of probable transmission of the pathogen from the donor to the recipient.