Acinetobacter baumannii is an important nosocomial pathogen worldwide. Its role in community-acquired infection remains controversial and has rarely been reported. Patients with monobacterial bloodstream infections caused by genomic species identified A. baumannii, admitted to Taipei Veterans General Hospital between 1999 and 2010, were selected as cases. Controls were defined as patients acquiring infection in a healthcare setting and were matched for age and sex. The clinical, epidemiologic, and microbiological characteristics of cases and controls were compared. Cases presented with shock more frequently and had higher APACHE II scores (25 vs 19, p = 0.005). No significant differences between the two groups were noted in the sources of bloodstream infection and underlying diseases. Multidrug resistance rates were higher in nosocomial A. baumannii isolates then in those acquired in the community (81.5% vs 38.9%, p = 0.002). Patients infected in the community were more likely to receive appropriate antimicrobial therapy than those with hospital-acquired A. baumannii (10/18; 55.6% vs 11/54; 20.4%, p = 0.011). Acquisition in the community (odds ratio [OR] 5.716, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.021-32.003, p = 0.047), respiratory tract as the infection source (OR 9.514, 95% CI 2.370-38.189, p = 0.001), and immunosuppressive therapy (OR 4.331, 95% CI 1.052-17.832, p = 0.042) were independently associated with increased 14-day mortality among patients with A. baumannii bacteremia in this cohort. Community-acquired bacteremia caused by A. baumannii was rare but associated with a severe outcome. Further investigation of potential virulence factors of community-acquired A. baumannii is required.

The Coronavirus‐2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has put tremendous strain on healthcare systems worldwide. It is challenging for clinicians to differentiate COVID‐19 from other acute respiratory tract infections via clinical symptoms because those who are infected display a wide range of symptoms. An effective, point‐of‐care (POC) diagnostic tool could mitigate healthcare system strain, protect healthcare professionals, and support quarantine efforts. We believe that a POC tool can be developed that would be rapid, easy to use, and inexpensive. It could be used in the home, in resource‐limited areas, and even in clinical settings. In this article, we summarize the current state of COVID‐19 diagnostic methods and make a case for an all‐in‐one, highly sensitive POC assay that integrates antibody detection, protein detection, and serum cytokine detection to diagnose COVID‐19 infection. We believe this article will provide insights into the current state of diagnostics for COVID‐19, and promote additional research and tool development that could be exceptionally impactful.

The effect of biofilm formation on bacteraemic pneumonia caused by A. baumannii is unknown. We conducted a 4-year multi-center retrospective study to analyze 71 and 202 patients with A. baumannii bacteraemic pneumonia caused by biofilm-forming and non-biofilm-forming isolates, respectively. The clinical features and outcomes of patients were investigated. Biofilm formation was determined by a microtitre plate assay. The antimicrobial susceptibilities of biofilm-associated cells were assessed using the minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) assay. Whole-genome sequencing was conducted to identify biofilm-associated genes and their promoters. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was performed to confirm the expression difference of biofilm-associated genes. There was no significant difference in the clinical characteristics or the outcomes between patients infected with biofilm-forming and non-biofilm-forming strains. Compared with non-biofilm-forming isolates, biofilm-forming isolates exhibited lower resistance to most antimicrobials tested, including imipenem, meropenem, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin and gentamicin; however, the MBEC assay confirmed the increased antibiotic resistance of the biofilm-embedded bacteria. Biofilm-associated genes and their promoters were detected in most isolates, including the non-biofilm-forming strains. Biofilm-forming isolates showed higher levels of expression of the biofilm-associated genes than non-biofilm-forming isolates. The biofilm-forming ability of A. baumannii isolates might not be associated with worse outcomes in patients with bacteraemic pneumonia.

Background: Acinetobacter baumannii hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is associated with a high mortality worldwide. Non-ventilated patients with HAP (NVHAP) caused by nosocomial pathogens are reported to have a more favorable outcome than those with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The current study was designed to determine whether bacteremic patients with A. baumannii NVHAP also have a lower mortality than those receiving assisted ventilation. Methods: This retrospective 10-year study was conducted at a 2900-bed teaching hospital located in Northern Taiwan. The population consisted of 144 patients with A. baumannii bacteremia and HAP. Of these 96 had VAP and 48 had NVHAP. Charts were reviewed for demographic characteristics, comorbidities, clinical manifestations, antimicrobial susceptibility, and 14-day mortality. Clonal relationships were determined by molecular typing. Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups in comorbidities (Charlson scores). Patients with NVHAP were more likely to have developed bacteremia earlier, outside the ICU and undergone fewer invasive procedures. They had significantly lower APACHE II scores, fewer bilateral pneumonias and lower rates of antimicrobial resistance. No specific clones were identified in either group. The unadjusted (crude) 14-day mortality rates were not significantly different between the groups (NVHAP 43.8% vs. VAP 31.3%, p = 0.196). The adjusted 14-day mortality risk was significantly lower in ventilator-assisted patients (odds ratio = 0.201; 95% confidence interval = 0.075-0.538; p = 0.001). Conclusions: Patients with bacteremic NVHAP and VAP caused by A. baumannii had similar crude mortality rates, but on logistic regression analysis those receiving ventilator assistance had a significantly lower mortality. This may have been due to better airway protection, more intensive monitoring with earlier diagnosis and treatment in patients with VAP, greater innate susceptibility to infection in those with NVHAP and differences in the virulence of A. baumannii.

Pathogenic superbugs are the root cause of untreatable complex infections with limited or no treatment options. These infections are becoming more common as clinical antibiotics have lost their effectiveness over time. Therefore, the development of novel antibacterial agents is urgently needed to counter these microbes. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a viable treatment option due to their bactericidal potency against multiple microbial classes. AMPs are naturally selected physiological microbicidal agents that are found in all forms of organisms. In the present study, we developed two tilapia piscidin 2 (TP2)-based AMPs for antimicrobial application. Unlike the parent peptide, the redesigned peptides showed significant antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant bacterial species. These peptides also showed minimal cytotoxicity. In addition, they were significantly active in the presence of physiological salts, 50% human serum and elevated temperature. The designed peptides also showed synergistic activity when combined with clinical antibiotics. The current approach demonstrates a fruitful strategy for developing potential AMPs for antimicrobial application. Such AMPs have potential for progression to further trials and drug development investigations.