In Vitro Activity of Tigecycline and Colistin against clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii in Hospitals in Tehran and Bandar-Abbas, Iran

BACKGROUND: The Acinetobacter species, particularly A. baumannii, has emerged as one of the main causes of nosocomial infections in recent years. The high prevalence of drug resistance in A. baumannii limits the therapeutic options for treating infections caused by these bacteria. The objective of this study was to determine the in vitro activity of Tigecycline and Colistin against clinical isolates of A. baumannii in Tehran and Bandar Abbas, Iran. METHODS: This study was conducted from March 2009 to November 2010 at three hospitals in Tehran and Bandar Abbas, Iran, using 165 Acinetobacter species isolated from clinical specimens. All isolates were subjected to PCR to detect bla(OXA-51)-like genes that are unique to Acinetobacter baumannii. Isolates that gave a band for the bla(OXA-51)-like genes were identified as A. baumannii. Anti-microbial susceptibility tests were performed for Tigecycline, Colistin, and other antibiotics. RESULTS: Sensitivity rates to Colistin and Polymyxin-B were 100%. Resistance rates for Tigecycline were 4.2% in Tehran and 8.8% in Bandar-Abbas according to Jones criteria, whereas, according to U.S. FDA criteria, the resistance rates were 20.8% and 17.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: New alternative drugs are needed for the treatment of drug resistant A. baumannii. Although Colistin appears to be a good choice, adverse reactions have limited its usage. Tigecycline is effective against A. baumannii isolates, and it shows promise for solving the problem.