Molecular Investigation of Resistance to Disinfectants in Acinetobacter Baumannii Isolates Collected From Qazvin Hospitals, Iran (2017)

Acinetobacter baumannii is an important agent of nosocomial infections. There are several reports on the presence of disinfectants-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii developed by qacE and qacEΔ1 genes in medical centers.   The current study aimed to assess the relevant antimicrobial susceptibility and to determine the frequency of genes encoding resistance to disinfectants in A. baumannii isolates. In the current cross-sectional study, 141 A. baumannii were collected from hospitals in Qazvin Province, Iran. All bacterial isolates were identified using standard laboratory methods and by the presence of the blaOXA-51-like gene. The antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by the standard Kirby- Bauer Test. Furthermore, the presence of qacE and qacEΔ1 genes was investigated using polymerase chain reaction and sequencing techniques. In total, 133 (94.32%) isolates suggested a Multidrug Resistance (MDR) pattern; 84 (59%) and 24 (17%) isolates harbored qacEΔ1 and qacE genes, respectively. There was a significant association between the presence of resistance genes and MDR patterns (P=0.001). The obtained results indicated a significant rate of resistance against disinfectants in Acinetobacter baumannii isolates among the studied hospitals; thus, more attention should be paid to the infection control committees of medical centers.