One hundred and eighteen strains of Acinetobacter spp. were isolated from healthy humanskin and biochemically classified into nine genospecies. Plasmid profiles were determined using four standard methods with minor modifications and by a commercial kit. Molecular weights were determined by comparison with standard plasmids pUC19, pBR322, RP4 and molecular weight marker, V517. Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Acinetobacter genospecies to 30 antibioticsbelonging to different groups was determined using Kirby Bauer method.
Acinetobacter spp. isolated from the tribal skinflora had low number of plasmids as compared to clinical and environmental isolates. Acinetobacter spp. harbouring low molecular weightplasmids were found to be sensitive to most of the antibiotics tested suggesting these might be coding for some other novel properties or may be cryptic, whereas, those having 40 kb plasmid showed intermediate to low level resistance to some antibiotics.