A Comparative study on biofilm forming property of clinical Acinetobacter baumannii isolates by different phenotypic methods

  • Unique Paper ID: 187629
  • PageNo: 6853-6860
  • Abstract:
  • Background: Acinetobacter baumannii is a significant nosocomial pathogen, frequently implicated in healthcare-associated infections due to its remarkable ability to form biofilms. Biofilm formation plays a crucial role in the organism’s resistance to antimicrobial agents and host immune defences, particularly in multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. Early and accurate detection of biofilm-forming clinical isolates is essential for effective infection control and therapeutic planning. Objective: This study aimed to compare the performance and reliability of three widely used phenotypic methods—Congo Red Agar (CRA), Tube Method (TM), and Tissue Culture Plate Method (Tissue Culture Plate; TCP)—in detecting biofilm formation in clinical MDR A. baumannii isolates. Methods: A South Indian tertiary care institution performed a prospective, laboratory-based investigation on 100 MDR A. baumannii clinical isolates. Standard microbiological methods and the VITEK-2 Compact System identified and tested bacteria for antibiotic susceptibility (AST). Under established laboratory settings, each isolate was tested for biofilm development using CRA, TM, and TCP. The gold standard for comparative assessment was the TCP approach. Results: Among the 100 isolates, the TCP method detected biofilm production in 75% isolates, including 68% strong and 7% moderate producers. The TM identified 21% strong and 29% moderate biofilm-forming isolates. CRA detected biofilm production in 61% isolates. Conclusion: The most accurate technique for identifying the development of biofilms in A. baumannii is still the TCP approach. Incorporating biofilm detection into routine diagnostics could significantly enhance the management of persistent and drug-resistant infections caused by A. baumannii.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{187629,
        author = {G K Megha and Dr. M. N. Sumana and Dr. Rashmi P. Mahale},
        title = {A Comparative study on biofilm forming property of clinical Acinetobacter baumannii isolates by different phenotypic methods},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2025},
        volume = {12},
        number = {6},
        pages = {6853-6860},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=187629},
        abstract = {Background:  Acinetobacter baumannii is a significant nosocomial pathogen, frequently implicated in healthcare-associated infections due to its remarkable ability to form biofilms. Biofilm formation plays a crucial role in the organism’s resistance to antimicrobial agents and host immune defences, particularly in multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. Early and accurate detection of biofilm-forming clinical isolates is essential for effective infection control and therapeutic planning. 
Objective: This study aimed to compare the performance and reliability of three widely used phenotypic methods—Congo Red Agar (CRA), Tube Method (TM), and Tissue Culture Plate Method (Tissue Culture Plate; TCP)—in detecting biofilm formation in clinical MDR A. baumannii isolates. 
Methods: A South Indian tertiary care institution performed a prospective, laboratory-based investigation on 100 MDR A. baumannii clinical isolates. Standard microbiological methods and the VITEK-2 Compact System identified and tested bacteria for antibiotic susceptibility (AST). Under established laboratory settings, each isolate was tested for biofilm development using CRA, TM, and TCP. The gold standard for comparative assessment was the TCP approach. Results: Among the 100 isolates, the TCP method detected biofilm production in 75% isolates, including 68% strong and 7% moderate producers. The TM identified 21% strong and 29% moderate biofilm-forming isolates. CRA detected biofilm production in 61% isolates. 
Conclusion: The most accurate technique for identifying the development of biofilms in A. baumannii is still the TCP approach. Incorporating biofilm detection into routine diagnostics could significantly enhance the management of persistent and drug-resistant infections caused by A. baumannii.},
        keywords = {Antimicrobial resistance, Biofilm formation, Congo red agar, MDR Acinetobacter baumannii, MDR pathogens, Microtiter plate method, Tube method.},
        month = {November},
        }

Cite This Article

Megha, G. K., & Sumana, D. M. N., & Mahale, D. R. P. (2025). A Comparative study on biofilm forming property of clinical Acinetobacter baumannii isolates by different phenotypic methods. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 12(6), 6853–6860.

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