Li Wei, Lin Cai, Yu Feng, Yuhua Deng, Jing Huang, Hongxia Wen, Lina Liu, Meilin Li, Xiaopan Guo, Fu Qiao, Zhiyong Zong
Air contamination of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) was investigated in an ICU with genome sequencing. CRAB was recovered from air samples (n=13) and patients (n=9) and belonged to ST2 (n=16) or ST164 (n=6). Four of the 9 ST2 clones were associated with transmission through the air within rooms or cross-room. All ST164 isolates belonged to a common clone and were found in two rooms. CRAB air dispersal may cause cross-room transmission at a long distance.