acinetobacter

ac·i·ne·to·bac·ter | \ ˌa-sə-ˈnē-tō-ˌbak-tər

Medical Definition of acinetobacter

1 capitalized : a genus of nonmotile, gram-negative bacteria (family Moraxellaceae) that are short rods typically growing in pairs or in chains, that occur in soil and water, and that are associated with opportunistic infections especially of the skin, lungs, and urinary tract A hospital outbreak involving multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter strains … should prompt an infection control investigation of compliance with hand washing, barrier precautions, ventilator care, and housekeeping. — The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, 18th edition, 2006

2 : a bacterium of the genus Acinetobacter Although acinetobacters are frequently isolated from several areas of the human body, there is some uncertainty as to whether they are present as contaminants rather than as commensals. — Elliot June, in Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, 2005