Virulence Genes of Four Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Producing Acinetobacter baumannii from Orthopedic Patients and Environment of a Tertiary Referral Hospital in Mwanza, Tanzania

Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen due to its high resistance to multi-drugs and disinfectants plus its ability to survive in the hospital environment that is detrimental to most pathogens. Understanding the arsenals of virulence genes among extended-spectrum Beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing-Acinetobacter baumannii isolates from patients and hospital environment is crucial for surveillance and informing strategies for control and prevention of this deadly nosocomial pathogen. We used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to unravel the sequence types (ST), ESBL-alleles, and virulence genes of ESBLs-producing Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from orthopedic patients and hospital environments of Bugando Medical Centre, a tertiary referral hospital in Mwanza, Tanzania