Impaired virulence and in vivo fitness of colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

López-Rojas, Rafael; Domínguez-Herrera, Juan; McConnell, Michael J; Docobo-Peréz, Fernando; Smani, Younes; Fernández-Reyes, María; Rivas, Luis; Pachón, Jerónimo · J Infect Dis · 2011

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Acinetobacter baumannii (American Type Culture Collection strain 19606) acquires mutations in the pmrB gene during the in vitro development of resistance to colistin. The colistin-resistant strain has lower affinity for colistin, reduced in vivo fitness (competition index, .016), and decreased virulence, both in terms of mortality (0% lethal dose, 6.9 vs 4.9 log colony-forming units) and survival in a mouse model of peritoneal sepsis. These results may explain the low incidence and dissemination of colistin resistance in A. baumannii in clinical settings.

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