A research team, led by Beate Averhoff and Volker Müller from Goethe University Frankfurt, has unraveled a critical mechanism that allows the notorious hospital pathogen, Acinetobacter baumannii, to endure and persist. This discovery sheds light on why eradicating this pathogen within hospital environments is such a challenging task, and why infections resurface repeatedly in patients. The key to this resilient survival strategy lies in the pathogen’s ability to enter a state of dormancy when conditions become adverse. During this slumber, conventional diagnostic methods are rendered ineffective, and the bacteria become impervious to extermination. Once conditions become more favorable, the pathogen awakens from its “deep sleep.”
Acinetobacter baumannii is an exceedingly perilous bacterium found in various healthcare settings, most notably in hospitals. Many strains of this bacterium have developed resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics. The prevalence of Acinetobacter baumannii infections surged significantly, particularly during the Iraq War, and has continued to escalate globally. This alarming trend prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to prioritize Acinetobacter baumannii as the top bacterium urgently necessitating the development of new drugs.
However, the proliferation of Acinetobacter baumannii can be attributed not only to antibiotic resistance but also to its remarkable adaptability. The bacterium thrives even under harsh conditions such as desiccation and high salinity, enabling it to colonize various ecosystems within the human body, including the bladder, skin surface, and the lungs. This adaptability, combined with its newly discovered ability to enter a dormant state, makes Acinetobacter baumannii a formidable adversary in the battle against hospital-acquired infections.
