Sequence multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains for ARLG-ICMR

As described in the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG) research plan for neonatal A. baumannii infections in India, strains will be exchanged between ARGL labs and Indian hospitals, facilitated by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under the auspices of the Vaccine Action Program (VAP). Initial phenotypic and strain type classification will be performed by the ARLG and approximately 20 DNA samples representing geographic and clinical diversity will be provided to JCVI for sequencing (10 from ARLG and 10 from ICMR). The analysis plan will comprise assembly and annotation, followed by phylogenetic analysis to determine whether the Indian strains represent multiple distinct groups (sporadic infections) or clonal groups that suggest that the strains are endemic in each hospital. Data analysis will be performed in collaboration with ARLG and ICRM scientists.