Insights Into Mechanisms of Biofilm Formation inAcinetobacter baumanniiand Implications for Uropathogenesis

Multidrug resistantAcinetobacter baumanniiis a serious healthcare threat. In fact, the Center for Disease Control recently reported that carbapenem-resistantA. baumanniiis responsible for more than 8,500 infections, 700 deaths, and $281 million in healthcare costs annually in the United States with few, if any, treatment options available, leading to its designation as a pathogen of urgent concern and a priority for novel antimicrobial development. It is hypothesized that biofilms are, at least in part, responsible for the high prevalence ofA. baumanniinosocomial and recurrent infections because they frequently contaminate hospital surfaces and patient indwelling devices; therefore, there has been a recent push for mechanistic understanding of biofilm formation, maturation and dispersal. However, most research has focused onA. baumanniipneumonia and bloodstream infections, despite a recent retrospective study showing that 17.1% ofA. baumanniiisolates compiled from clinical studies over the last two decades were obtained from urinary samples. This highlights thatA. baumanniiis an underappreciated uropathogen. The following minireview will examine our current understanding ofA. baumanniibiofilm formation and how this influences urinary tract colonization and pathogenesis.