Acinetobacter Calcoaceticus Var Research Articles

Remediation of phenol-contaminated soil by a bacterial consortium and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus isolated from an industrial wastewater treatment plant

Time-course performance of a phenol-degrading indigenous bacterial consortium, and of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus, isolated from an industrial coal wastewater treatment plant was evaluated. This bacterial consortium was able to survive in the presence of phenol concentrations as high as 1200 mg L −1 and the consortium was more fast in degrading phenol than a pure culture of the A. calcoaceticus strain. In a batch system, 86% of phenol biodegradation occurred in around 30 h at pH 6.0, while at pH 3.0, 95.2% of phenol biodegradation occurred in 8 h. A high phenol biodegradation (above 95%) by the mixed culture in a bioreactor was obtained in both continuous and batch systems, but when test was carried out in coke gasification wastewater, no biodegradation was observed after 10 days at pH 9–11 for both pure strain or the isolated consortium. An activated sludge with the same bacterial consortium characterized above was mixed with a textile sludge-contaminated soil with a phenol concentration of 19.48 mg kg −1. After 20 days of bioaugmentation, the remanescent phenol concentration of the sludge-soil matrix was 1.13 mg kg −1.

Clinical and microbiological characteristics of bacteremia caused by Acinetobacter lwoffii.

A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the clinical features and pathogenic roles of bacteremia caused by Acinetobacter lwoffii during a 4-year period. Acinetobacter lwoffii (formerly Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. lwoffii) is recognized as normal flora of the skin, oropharynx and perineum of healthy individuals. There are few reports of Acinetobacter lwoffii bacteremia associated with indwelling catheters in humans, particularly in immunocompromised hosts. The records of 18 patients with Acinetobacter lwoffii bacteremia whose underlying conditions included cancer (11 patients), systemic lupus erythematosus (n=1), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n = 2) and other diseases (n = 4), all but one of whom had indwelling catheters during the bacteremic episode, were examined. The clinical syndromes were classified as probable catheter-related bacteremia (n = 14), definite catheter-related bacteremia (n = 2), primary bacteremia (n = 1) or biliary tract infection (n = 1). The infections improved after removal of the catheter and/or appropriate antimicrobial therapy. One death was attributable to the bacteremic event. The results of this study show that indwelling catheter-related Acinetobacter lwoffii bacteremia in immunocompromised hosts appears to be associated with a low risk of mortality.

Oral treatment of Staphylococcus spp. infected orthopaedic implants with fusidic acid or ofloxacin in combination with rifampicin.

Oral therapy of staphylococcal infection of orthopaedic implants with 900 mg/day rifampicin combined with either 1.5 g/day fusidic acid for 5 days followed by 1 g/day thereafter, or 600 mg/day ofloxacin was compared. Patients with an infected hip were treated for 6 months, with removal of any unstable prosthesis after 5 months' treatment and those with an infected knee prosthesis were treated for 9 months, with removal of the prosthesis after 6 months of treatment. Patients with infections of other type of bone implants were treated for 6 months with removal of the implant after 3 months of treatment, if necessary. Cure was defined as the absence of clinical, microbiological and radiological evidence of infection 12 months after completion of treatment. The treatment of 46 of the 52 included in the study was evaluated for safety and that of 42 was assessed for efficacy. Overall treatment was successful for 11 (55%) of 20 patients treated with rifampicin and fusidic acid group and for 11 (50%) of the 22 treated with rifampicin and ofloxacin. Treatment failed in four cases in each treatment group because of persistent infection. One patient given rifampicin and fusidic acid and three patients given rifampicin and ofloxacin failed treatment because of relapse. Superinfection led to failure in the remainder and was due to staphylococci in all but one case in which Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus was isolated. There were no side effects related to study treatment. Oral treatment with rifampicin combined with fusidic acid may be a suitable alternative to the combination of rifampicin and ofloxacin for treating implant infections due to Staphylococcus spp. either when the patient is intolerant to quinolones or when the infecting organism is resistant to these drugs.

含そう用アロプリノール液に使用する保存剤の検討

For the prevention or treatment of stomatitis caused by anticancer agents, allopurinol gargle has been used at Gifu University Hospital. The allopurinol gargle has been prepared by dispersing powdered allopurinol tablets and sodium carboxymethylcellulose into water for injection. As the result of examination of microbial contamination of the allopurinol gargle administered to a patient, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus, Burkholderia pickettii or Candida albicans were isolated. Benzoic acid (BA), sodium dehydroacetate (DA) and ethyl-p-hydroxybenzoate (EP) were used as preservatives for allopurinol gargle. Allopurinol gargles containing 0.05% of BA, 0.1 % of BA, 0.05% of DA, 0.1 % of DA or 0.05% of EP were prepared and antimicrobial activities against strains isolated from allopurinol gargles and those from clinical specimens were assessed based on the criteria for topical preparations in British Pharmacopoeia. Among the alloprinol gargles prepared, only alloprinol gargle containing 0.1% of BA had antimicrobial activity against all strains at storage conditions of 25°C and 37°C. The alloprinol gargle containing 0.1 % of BA did not demonstrate sufficient antimicrobial activity at 4°C. The BA added to allopurinol gargles had no influence on either the stability of allopurinol or on the inhibition of xanthine oxidase by allopurinol. No growth of organisms appeared in the remaining allopurinol gargle containing 0.1 % of BA used by the patient.These findings suggest that the addition of BA at the concentration of 0.1 % is suitable for allopurinol gargle.

Mixed meningitis: association of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var lwoffi and Streptococcus faecium

We describe mixed bacterial meningitis in a young man due to Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var lwoffi and Streptococcus faecium. The combination of A calcoaceticus var lwoffi and S faecium as aetiology of mixed bacterial meningitis has not been previously reported. The patient recovered completely without neurologic sequelae on chloramphenicol and penicillin.

Analysis of the interaction between autochthonous bacteria and packaging material in PVC-bottled mineral water

A study with about 10,000 bottles produced by a mineral water company was undertaken in order to identify the causal agent of an off odour occurrence in the bottled water. Some physiological attributes of the dominant species over an 8-month period, as well as their interaction with packaging material, were investigated. Pseudomonas maltophilia, P. acidovorans, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. lwoffi, frequently associated with bottles having an off odour, seemed to play a decisive role in the phenomenon due to their elevated lipolytic activity, their cell hydrophobicity and adhesivity to the PVC walls. Their ability to attack the sodium polysulfide included in the ultramarine blue dye present in PVC, transforming it to H 2S was investigated.

An outbreak of gram-negative bacteremia traced to contaminated O-rings in reprocessed dialyzers.

To investigate an outbreak of gram-negative bacteremia in an outpatient hemodialysis unit and to identify the source of contaminating bacteria and the route by which bacteria gained access to the bloodstream. A matched-pair, case-control study and a bacteriologic investigation of the hemodialysis unit and the implicated dialyzers. A university outpatient hemodialysis unit. Eleven patients receiving long-term hemodialysis who had a total of 12 episodes of primary gram-negative bacteremia and 12 matched controls. Clinical and demographic data were obtained for patients and controls. Dialysis unit procedures were observed for compliance with aseptic technique. Cultures of potential environmental sources of bacteria were obtained. Hemodialyzers from bacteremic and nonbacteremic patients were dismantled, and the component parts were cultured. Inoculation of O-rings (from Hemoflow F-80 dialyzer) with bacteria and simulated dialysis were done. During January to October 1988, 12 episodes of primary gram-negative bacteremia caused by Pseudomonas cepacia, Xanthomonas maltophilia, Citrobacter freundii, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus, or Enterobacter cloacae occurred in 11 patients. In 11 episodes, symptoms developed within 3 hours of starting hemodialysis. Intravenous antibiotics were administered for 11 episodes, 3 episodes resulted in hospitalization, and all patients recovered. Case patients were more likely to have received high-flux dialysis with Hemoflow F-80 dialyzers (odds ratio congruent to 11) than were controls. O-rings from dialyzers used by bacteremic patients were culture positive for the organism responsible for bacteremia. Three of the four dialyzers were disinfected using the standard automated method and were recultured 72 hours later; the O-rings of all three dialyzers remained culture positive. Simulated dialysis using dialyzers with contaminated O-rings caused blood pathway contamination despite intervening reprocessing. When the disinfection method for F-80 dialyzers included removal and complete disinfection of the O-rings, O-ring and blood pathway cultures were consistently negative. After this procedure was made routine, no episodes of primary gram-negative bacteremia occurred during the next 6 months. Because dialyzers with removable headers and O-rings are widely used in patients receiving long-term hemodialysis, disinfection procedures should include measures to ensure adequate disinfection of O-rings.

Vascular catheter-related bloodstream infection due to Acinetobacter johnsonii (formerly Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. lwoffi): report of 13 cases.

Although Acinetobacter baumannii (formerly Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus) is known to be an important nosocomial pathogen, the clinical impact of other Acinetobacter species is not fully understood. Acinetobacter johnsonii (formerly a subset of A. calcoaceticus var. lwoffii) is considered a commensal on human skin, and infections due to this organism have not been reported previously. During a study period of 18 months, however, 13 patients at 6 hospitals developed catheter-related bloodstream infections caused by A. johnsonii. All patients had an indwelling peripheral or central venous catheter, and 11 patients were receiving a continuous intravenous infusion of heparin via the offending catheter. The clinical course of A. johnsonii bacteremia was usually benign. Infections responded readily to removal of the catheter, with or without administration of appropriate antibiotics. No insertion-site infections were documented. Thus A. johnsonii must be regarded as an organism that can cause rare cases of bloodstream infection in immunocompetent patients.

Microbial contamination of enteral feeding solution and its prevention

In an investigation of microbial contamination of enteral feeding solutions, all 22 residual solutions obtained immediately after administration were contaminated at concentrations of 10 3 to 10 6 viable counts/ml. Major contaminants were glucose-nonfermenting gram-negative bacilli such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var anitratus. Contamination seemed to have been caused by frequent reuse of bag-type containers and the infusion tubes connected to the bags, neither of which can be washed or dried. Decontamination methods were evaluated by using polypropylene containers that can be washed and disinfected for administration. Few Serratia marcescens on the inside wall of the container were removed by rinsing with tap water, alone or in combination with detergent scrub. Tap water and detergent plus air-drying at 56° C for 1 hour reduced Serratia marcescens only somewhat. Tap water and detergent plus immersion in 0.01% sodium hypochlorite for 1 hour or in water at 70° C for 3 minutes eliminated all 10 11 cells of Serratia marcescens.

Microbial contamination of enteral feeding solution and its prevention

In an investigation of microbial contamination of enteral feeding solutions, all 22 residual solutions obtained immediately after administration were contaminated at concentrations of 10 3 to 10 6 viable counts/ml. Major contaminants were glucose-nonfermenting gram-negative bacilli such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var anitratus. Contamination seemed to have been caused by frequent reuse of bag-type containers and the infusion tubes connected to the bags, neither of which can be washed or dried. Decontamination methods were evaluated by using polypropylene containers that can be washed and disinfected for administration. Few Serratia marcescens on the inside wall of the container were removed by rinsing with tap water, alone or in combination with detergent scrub. Tap water and detergent plus air-drying at 56° C for 1 hour reduced Serratia marcescens only somewhat. Tap water and detergent plus immersion in 0.01% sodium hypochlorite for 1 hour or in water at 70° C for 3 minutes eliminated all 10 11 cells of Serratia marcescens.

Relative contribution of nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans) and bacteria towards the disruption of flushing patterns and losses in yield and quality of mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus)

SummaryLaboratory tests of bacteria isolated from the body surface, or from the gut, of a saprophagous rhabditid nematode Caenorhabditis elegans infesting mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) showed that some bacteria enhanced nematode reproduction and that others inhibited it. As some bacteria were shown to inhibit mycelial growth of the mushroom, the effects of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus, Enterobacter cloacae and Serratia liquefaciens, either alone or in combination with C. elegans, on the flushing patterns, quality and yield of A. bisporus (strain Horst U3) were studied.Bacteria alone had little effect on flushing patterns whereas C. elegans delayed the onset of mushroom production and significantly disrupted the growth pattern of crops, with mushrooms appearing more regularly and not within obvious flushes. Inoculation with bacteria resulted in ‘browning’ of mushrooms that was even more pronounced in C. elegans treatments. Characteristic distortion of sporophores was observed only in the presence of C. elegans. Nematodes commonly colonised sporophores. Bacteria affected the size of nematode populations both on the sporophores and in the casing.Significant yield loss occurred; up to 10% when bacteria were inoculated, up to 27.8% when C. elegans was inoculated, and up to 35% with both bacteria and nematodes. Synergism between C. elegans and A. calcoaceticus var. anitratus was observed; the combination resulted in significantly greater reduction in mushroom yield than any other treatment. It is concluded that bacteria contribute to yield loss and quality deterioration in A. bisporus but that the effects are far greater in the presence of C. elegans.

Association of contaminated gloves with transmission of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus in an intensive care unit

purpose: Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus is an important nosocomial pathogen that has been associated with environmental reservoirs. An increased isolation rate of A. anitratus in our intensive care units (ICUs), from 0.03% (two of 7,800) to 0.5% (seven of 1,300) (p <0.00003), prompted an investigation. patients, methods, and results: Ten patients were admitted to the surgical ICU and nine to the medical ICU during the outbreak period (late December 1987 to January 1988). Controls were all patients on the units who were not infected or colonized with the transmitted strain of A. anitratus. Three patients had A. anitratus pneumonia. A throat culture prevalence survey demonstrated three patients colonized with A. anitratus. Cases were placed in a cohort and symptomatic cases treated. An epidemiologic investigation was conducted to identify reservoirs and modes of transmission. Latex gloves were being used for universal precautions without routine changing of gloves between patients. Environmental sources culture-positive for A. anitratus included a small volume medication nebulizer and gloves in use for patient care. Plasmid typing showed that plasmid profiles of isolates from two symptomatic patients, two colonized patients, the nebulizer, and the gloves were identical. Other A. anitratus ICU isolates had distinct plasmid profiles. All patients with the transmitted strain had been in the surgical ICU. The need for changing gloves between patients and contaminated body sites was reinforced. conclusion: Gloves, used incorrectly for universal precautions, may potentially transmit A. anitratus.

Survival of bacteria under dry conditions; from a viewpoint of nosocomial infection

The viability of non-sporing bacteria in a dry state was examined. The number of viable cells was determined at various time intervals, after inoculation onto cotton lint and a glass plate. Viable cells of Mycobacterium bovis were detected more than 2 months after inoculation, and this was the most resistant species to dry conditions among the bacteria tested. In the case of the Gram-positive cocci tested and one species of Gram-negative rods, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus, the viable cell numbers decreased by only 2 log 10 by 25 days after inoculation, indicating that they are highly resistant to dry conditions. In contrast, Gram-negative rods other than A. calcoaceticus lost their viability very rapidly and no viable cells were detected 7 h after inoculation. In the presence of proteins such as bovine serum albumin and horse serum, the viability of bacteria in the dry state increased. This protein effect on bacterial survival was marked for Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium but not for Pseudomonas cepacia and Xanthomonas maltophilia. These results indicate why Gram-positive cocci and A. calocoaceticus are capable of causing airborne infections. It is also suggested that enterobacteria such as E. coli could cause infections when they survive in a dry environment along with proteins derived from body fluids.

A case of community-acquired acinetobacter calcoaceticus pneumonia.

Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var anitratus, a non-fermentative gram negative bacillus, has been infrequently reported as a cause of community-acquired pneumonia. Bacteremic community-acquired pneumonia caused by Acinetobacter is a fulminant disease with a high mortality (above 40 per cent in the reported case). The onset of the illness is rapid but nonspecific with fever, productive cough, pleuritic pain and rapid prostration. And the patients frequently present with respiratory distress, severe hypoxemia, leukopenia and septic shock. We experienced a case of community-acquired Acinetobacter pneumonia who underwent respiratory support with mechanical ventilator for about 4 weeks and survived. We report the case with review of literature.

Influence of Bacteria and Temperature On the Reproduction of Caenorhabditis Elegans (Nematoda: Rhabditidae) Infesting Mushrooms (Agaricus Bispor Us)

Ten species of bacteria associated with Caenorhabditis elegans, a saprobic rhabditid nematode infesting cultivated mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), were isolated and identified. In monogenic cultures, five species of bacteria (Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus, A. calcoaceticus var. lwoffi, Enterobacter cloacae, Pseudomonas maltophilia and Serratia liquefaciens) sustained the growth and reproduction of C. elegan.v for several generations. Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas sp. supported growth and reproduction of the nematode, but resulted in smaller populations. E. amnigenus and P. aeruginosa could support nematode growth and reproduction for the first 2-3 generations; Bacillus sp. could support growth but not reproduction. The reproductive capacity of parthenogenetic female C. elegans varied with temperature and bacterial food source. Cubic equations were fitted to the data on nematode fecundity. Temperature optima for reproduction were estimated. Temperature significantly affected generation time of the nematode but bacterial species had little effect. The significance of interactions between C. elegans and its associated bacteria in mushroom culture is discussed.

Investigation of an outbreak of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus infections in an adult intensive care unit

Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus is a gram-negative nonfermenter coccobacillus distributed widely in the environment (e.g., water, sewage, soil, etc.). It can colonize human skin and mucosae and occasionally causes opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients.lV3 The organism has been implicated with increasing frequency in sporadic outbreaks of nosocomial infections. Although respiratory and urinary tract infections have been reported most frequently, other infections, such as skin infections and cellulitis, wound infections, bacteremia and septicemia, meningitis, and endocarditis, have also been described>-’ On many occasions these infections constitute a se-

The survival of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus inoculated on fingertips and on formica

When inoculated on the fingers of three volunteers, strains of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus survived better than strains of var. lwoffii; 60 min after an inoculum of 10 4 cfu/finger, washings yielded between 2·6 × 10 1 (for a sporadic strain of var. lwoffii) and 7·2 × 10 2 cfu/finger (for an epidemic strain of var. anitratus). All five test strains survived better on formica than on skin, and from an inoculum of 10 4 cfu, between 6·4 × 10 2 and 2·2 × 10 3 cfu/finger were recoverable 60 min later. After inoculation of formica sheets, both strains of var. lwoffii could still be recovered in low numbers 24 h later, and two of the three strains of var. anitratus 60 h later. These findings suggest the presence of hitherto unrecognized antibacterial activity of skin against Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and suggest that outbreaks may be sustained by hand transmission. The ability of these organisms to survive desiccation on formica supports the proposal that transmission by air, dust or fomites may hitherto have been underestimated for this species.

An outbreak of acinetobacter septicaemia in a neonatal intensive care unit

We describe an outbreak of Gram-negative septicaemia due to a rare, non-fermenting, aerobic organism, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. lwoffi. The outbreak occurred on a neonatal unit and was confined to babies who were receiving parenteral nutrition. Seven babies developed septicaemia within 24 hours. The source of the outbreak was never firmly established, but contamination of the parenteral nutrition fluid was considered most likely. All 7 babies recovered uneventfully after a week's course of intravenous ceftazidime. Thrombocytopenia was an unexpected feature of this infection.

Epidemic iatrogenic Acinetobacter spp. meningitis following administration of intrathecal methotrexate

We report the first outbreak of Acinetobacter species meningitis in a group of children with acute leukaemia following the administration of intrathecal chemotherapy. Eight of twenty patients receiving methotrexate injections on a single day developed signs and symptoms of meningitis within 18 h of treatment, and cases were clustered by time of administration. A cohort study comparing case and non-case patients did not identify any specific host factor associated with meningitis. Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var anitratus was isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of five patients; three patients died. Our investigation determined that the methotrexate was extrinsically contaminated by reused needles, used for reconstitution and administration, which had been inadequately sterilized. Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var anitratus was isolated from an autoclaved needle and a vial of methotrexate used for chemotherapy; these and the clinical isolates had similar antibiograms. After introduction of single-use disposable needles no subsequent cases occurred.

Novel carbenicillin-hydrolyzing beta-lactamase (CARB-5) from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus.

A strain of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var. anitratus highly resistant to ticarcillin but susceptible to ticarcillin in combination with clavulanic acid (2 mg/l) was found to produce a constitutive beta-lactamase. This enzyme was periplasmic with a characteristic substrate profile of a carbenicillin-hydrolyzing enzyme. Enzyme inhibition was detected with antiserum (anti-CARB-3), pCMB, cloxacillin, clavulanic acid and sulbactam. This novel enzyme with a molecular mass of 28,000 resembles other plasmid-mediated carbenicillinases (CARB) but differs in its apparent isoelectric point estimated as 6.3 and has been designated CARB-5 on this basis.