Air contamination by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) was investigated in a single ICU with one single-bed and four multiple-bed rooms, using whole-genome sequencing to determine transmission routes within and between rooms.
CRAB was recovered from 9.23% (9/88) of air samples (yielding 13 colonies) and from 9 patients; all air isolates came from multiple-bed rooms. Genomic analysis identified ST2 (n=16) and ST164 (n=6) clones; 4 of 9 ST2 clones showed evidence of airborne transmission within or across rooms, and all ST164 isolates shared a common clone found in two separate rooms, indicating cross-room long-distance dispersal.
Single-center study in one ICU limits generalizability. Only 88 air samples were collected, and the study design does not allow quantification of the relative contribution of airborne versus contact transmission. Full text was not available for detailed methods review.
CRAB can spread through the air across ICU rooms, not just within them — clinicians and infection control teams should consider airborne dispersal as an under-recognized transmission route and evaluate room ventilation and spatial separation as countermeasures, especially in multi-bed ICU settings.
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