Endemicity and diversification of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in an intensive care unit

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is a major public health concern globally. Often studied in the context of hospital outbreaks, little is known about the persistence and evolutionary dynamics of endemic CRAB populations.

The epidemiology of CRAB in this setting contrasted with previously described clonal outbreaks in high-income countries, highlighting the importance of environmental CRAB reservoirs in ICU epidemiology and the unique challenges in containing the spread of CRAB in ICUs where this important multidrug-resistant pathogen is endemic.