Previous studies
suggested that OMVs may be involved in the transfer
of genetic material among similar bacterial species i.e.,
N. gonorrheae (Dorward et al. 1989). Carbapenem resistance
in A. baumannii is mainly due to the presence of
β-lactamases as well as altered permeability and penicillin
binding protein modification. It has been observed that
clinical isolates of A. baumannii may release OMVs as a
mechanism of horizontal gene transfer whereby carbapenem
resistance genes are delivered to surrounding A. baumannii
bacterial isolates