CLINICAL AND EPIDEMIOLOGIC INVESTIGATIONS OF ACINETOBACTER GENOMOSPECIES-3 IN A NEONATAL INTENSIVE-CARE UNIT

A prospective study of Acinetobacter isolates from a neonatal intensiv e care unit was performed for 24 months. Fifty-six isolates were obtai ned from 21 patients, and another eight were obtained from environment al specimens. Infection due to Acinetobacter organisms was established for 16 patients, 6 with septicemia, 9 with pneumonia, and 1 with a wo und infection. Further investigations were performed with 38 represent ative isolates. Twenty-nine isolates were identified as unnamed DNA-DN A hybridization group (genomospecies) 3, three were identified as geno mospecies 2 (Acinetobacter baumannii), one was identified as genomospe cies 5 (Acinetobacter junii), three were identified as genomospecies 1 4, and two were unclassified. Eight distinguishable protein profiles, coded I through VIII, were found by cell envelope protein electrophore sis. Profile V, a common profile, was observed for 17 isolates that ha d been recovered from 11 patients and 1 dust specimen. These isolates, all of which belonged to genomospecies 3, had similar antibiograms an d biotypes. This study has revealed that genomospecies 3 can be associ ated with infection and be spread in hospitals.