How does the Infection Acinetobacter Baumannii get ...

Acinetobacter (ass in ée toe back ter) is a group of bacteria commonly found in soil and water. It can also be found on the skin of healthy people, especially healthcare personnel. While there are many types or “species” of Acinetobacter and all can cause human disease, Acinetobacter baumannii accounts for about 80% of reported infections.
Outbreaks of Acinetobacter infections typically occur in intensive care units and healthcare settings housing very ill patients. Acinetobacter infections rarely occur outside of healthcare settings.How do people get Acinetobacter infection?
Acinetobacter poses very little risk to healthy people. However, people who have weakened immune systems, chronic lung disease, or diabetes may be more susceptible to infections with Acinetobacter.Hospitalized patients, especially very ill patients on a ventilator, those with a prolonged hospital stay, or those who have open wounds, are also at greater risk for Acinetobacter infection. Acinetobactercan be spread to susceptible persons by person-to-person contact, contact with contaminated surfaces, or exposure in the environment.How is Acinetobacter infection treated?
Acinetobacter is often resistant to many commonly prescribed antibiotics. Decisions on treatment of infections with Acinetobacter should be made on a case-by-case basis by a healthcare provider. Acinetobacter infection typically occurs in very ill patients and can either cause or contribute to death in these patients. What should I do to prevent the spread of Acinetobacter infection to others?
Acinetobacter can live on the skin and may survive in the environment for several days. Careful attention to infection control procedures such as hand hygiene and environmental cleaning can reduce the risk of transmission. For more information on infection control practices and hand hygiene, see Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings and Guideline for Isolation Precautions in Hospitals.

The above is what the CDC states.  

How do germs travel? There are so many ways for this to get into the hospitals, with staff as well as patients, visitors, everything, and there is no one who can offer a definate answer to this. In other words, it's a Germ, it can find it's way wherever there is life. Same with virus's, usually carried by people, but sometimes transported in supplies or foods. If you want to find out exactly what the cause was, I'm afraid the costs for the tests would far exceed the worth since it's doubtful anyone could trace the origin.

Acinetobacter baumannii is a nosocomial infection, a hospital acquired infection.  While many Acinetobacters are found in the soil and water baumannii is very rare outside the health care setting.  Look for this to change though as it is rapidly contaminating health care facilities and more people will be carrying it out with them.

Acinetobacter baumannii strains have been in some of our hospitals here in the US for many years though the extreme drug resistance is more recent.

Acinetobacter baumannii strains from the Military Evacuation System from Iraq match those found in Europe. It was noted by the staff at the field hospital dogwood that dirty medical equipment had arrived from Germany.  My husband was sent to the field hospital Dogwood and later tested positive for Acinetobacter baumannii .

Understaffing and overcrowding make the prime environment for a nosocomial pathogen.  The military evacuation system was not prepared to handle the onslaught of casualties and little was done to improve the catastrophe.  It was supposed to be a temporary situation.

Add this to the lavish use of broad spectrum antiobiotics which were used to stave off possible infections but actually contributed to the drug resistance of pathogens like Acinetobacter baumannii, MRSA, Klebsiella pnuemonia, C diff, and others which were already resistant to the antibiotics being used.

Landstuhl, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Bethesda Naval, Brooke Army Medical Center, Balboa in California, Tripler in Hawaii all became heavily contaminated with Acinetobacter baumannii.  Many lives and limbs have been lost to this bug that would otherwise have been saved.

Wounded soldiers are often sent to civilian facilities closer to their homes to recover.  Wounded civilian contractors are repatriated from Landstuhl to civilian facilities near their homes.

The entire military health system, to include the VA health system, has been contaminated with Acinetobacter baumannii.

VA Medical Centers are always connected to a civilian learning hospital.  Doctors and other staff often work at VAMC's and civilian hospitals too.  There is alot of traffic between these facilities.  Acinetobacter baumannii is easily transmittable via a necktie, labcoat, cellphone, hospital curtains.

I track Acinetobacter baumanniis infections.   It has rapidly spread throughout our health care systems.  Some of the strains are domestic and were already here.  Some of the strains, particularly the extremely drug resistant strains are from the military health system.

 Whichever the origin of the Acinetobacter baumannii strains one thing rings true for them all, they are spread through negligence.  Our hospitals do not have to report these infections and there is little incentive for them to clean up their acts.  Try callling your local hospital or health department and ask about any of these nosocomial infections and see how little you will be told.

I am happy to answer any further questions anyone may have.

junglem@yahoo.com