Sequence-based typing of ade B as a potential tool to identify intraspecific groups among clinical strains of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

Sequence analysis of an 850-bp fragment internal to the aspecific drug efflux gene ade B revealed 11 sequence types (STs) among a collection of 50 multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB) strains, including members of pan-European clones I, II, and III. The delineation of STs conformed with the intraspecific grouping of these strains previously determined by different DNA fingerprinting methods. Larger strain collections need to be screened to further explore the potential of sequence-based ade B typing as a universal tool for the monitoring of MDRAB clones.