Intracellular Acinetobacter baumannii acts as a transient reservoir in lung infection via a “persist and resist” strategy

Abstract

Although considered primarily extracellular, Acinetobacter baumannii can survive and replicate within macrophages in vitro. Intracellular bacteria are often protected from the host immune system and antibiotic treatment, potentially leading to chronic or recurrent infections. To investigate the role of intracellular A. baumannii during infection, we transferred bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from infected mice, containing an intracellular bacterial population, into naïve immunocompromised mice, enabling us to assess the fate of bacteria following internalization. The BALF transfer resulted in A. baumannii lung infection, indicating that intracellular bacteria can egress from host immune..