USE OF MACRORESTRICTION ANALYSIS TO DEMONSTRATE INTERHOSPITAL SPREAD OF MULTIRESISTANT ACINETOBACTER-BAUMANNII IN SAO-PAULO, BRAZIL

We evaluated the spread of Acinetobacter baumannii strains among three hospitals located in Sao Paulo, Brazil. A total of 46 isolates, which were typed by chromosomal DNA analysis with use of pulsed field gel e lectrophoresis (PFGE), were tested for susceptibility to the fluoroqui nolones, carbapenems, aminoglycosides (amikacin), cephalosporins, poly myxin B, and ampicillin/sulbactam by means of the broth microdilution method, disk diffusion, and the E-test. Isolates with an identical PFG E pattern (pattern B) that were susceptible only to carbapenems, polym yxin B, and ampicillin/sulbactam were recovered in all three hospitals . In addition, isolates with PFGE pattern A that were susceptible only to polymyxin B and ampicillin/sulbactam were recovered in hospitals 1 and 2. The results of our study strongly suggest the interhospital tr ansmission of multiresistant epidemic strains of A. baumannii in Sao P aulo. Once in the hospital, these strains can disseminate and cause ou tbreaks with devastating consequences.