02406nas a2200217   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002260007000043653002500113653002100138653001700159653001300176100001400189700001400203700001300217245011600230300001200346490000800358520180800366022001402174       2014                            d  c10/2014bSchlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KGaHannover10amultidrug resistance10acompanion animal10aepidemiology10aclinical1 aS Müller1 aT Janßen1 aL Wieler00aMultidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in veterinary medicine – emergence of an underestimated pathogen?  a435-4460 v1273 aThe proportion of multidrug resistant bacteria causing infections in animals has continuously been increasing. While the relevance of ESBL (extended spectrum beta-lactamase)-producing Enterobacteriaceae spp. and MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is unquestionable, knowledge about multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in veterinary medicine is scarce. This is a worrisome situation, as A. baumannii are isolated from veterinary clinical specimens with rising frequency. The remarkable ability of A. baumannii to develop multidrug resistance and the high risk of transmission are known in human medicine for years. Despite this, data regarding A. baumannii isolates of animal origin are missing. Due to the changing role of companion animals with closer contact between animal and owner, veterinary intensive care medicine is steadily developing. It can be assumed that the number of “high risk“ patients with an enhanced risk for hospital acquired infections will be rising simultaneously. Thus, development and spread of multidrug resistant pathogens is envisioned to rise. It is possible, that A. baumannii will evolve into a veterinary nosocomial pathogen similar to ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae and MRSA. The lack of attention paid to A. baumannii in veterinary medicine is even more worrying, as first reports indicate a transmission between humans and animals. Essential questions regarding the role of livestock, especially as a potential source of multidrug resistant isolates, remain unanswered. This review summarizes the current knowledge on A. baumannii in veterinary medicine for the first time. It underlines the utmost significance of further investigations of A. baumannii animal isolates, particularly concerning epidemiology and resistance mechanisms.   a0005-9366