In past decades, Acinetobacter infections have been sporadically identified in hospitalized patients and healthcarerelated
outbreaks.1,2,3 These infections have occurred most often in critically ill patients receiving invasive medical
interventions such as central lines, arterial lines, and mechanical ventilation. In more recent years, Acinetobacter has
been increasingly recognized as a significant healthcare-associated, opportunistic, multidrug-resistant pathogen.4
Widespread public awareness of the risk of Acinetobacter infection in healthcare has escalated, primarily as a result
of the media attention given infections in military populations serving in the Middle East (dubbed “Iraqibacter” by
the media).