This study describes the course of an OXA-48-producing Enterobacteriaceae (OPE) outbreak that started in March 2012 in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Jerusalem, Israel. During the peak of the outbreak (January to August 2012), there were 49 patients who had proven or suspected acquisition of OPE in the NICU, including 16 with invasive infections, out of a total of 156 patients who were hospitalized during that period. Three children hospitalized in the pediatric ICU were identified as carriers of OPE. Three patients with a previous stay in the affected NICU were identified as OPE carriers upon admission to another hospital. The Ministry of Health was notified and then intervened in July 2012. Intervention included cohorting colonized patients, conducting frequent rectal-culture surveillance, and improving the implementation of infection control practices. As a result, the incidence of OPE acquisition declined to 5 cases in the first 4 months, followed by no new cases in the next 3 months. Thirty-one patient-unique isolates were available for analysis: 29 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, all belonging to a single clone (sequence type 39 [ST39]), and 2 isolates from Enterobacter cloacae. All isolates possessed the blaOXA-48 and blaCTX-M-14 genes, which are located on the same plasmid. This plasmid, similar to the global blaOXA-48-harboring vector, has now acquired blaCTX-M-14, leading to resistance to all β-lactam agents.
Our objectives were to establish a methodology for surveillance of ciprofloxacin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and gentamicin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CPRE and GNRE, respectively) in cattle and to study the prevalence and risk factors for carriage of these bacteria in a national survey. This was a point prevalence study conducted from July to October 2013 in Israel. Stool samples were collected from 1,226 cows in 123 sections of 40 farms of all production types. The number of CPRE- and GNRE-positive cows was highest in quarantine stations and fattening farms and was lowest in pasture farms (p < 0.01). The number of CPRE- and GNRE-positive cows was lowest in dairy farm sections containing adult cows (>25 months) and highest in calves (<4 months) (p < 0.001). In bivariate analysis, other variables that were significant risk factors for CPRE and GNRE carriage included fewer troughs, crowding, lack of manure cleaning, and recent arrival of new calves. Antimicrobial prophylaxis was given almost exclusively to calves and was associated with a higher prevalence of carriers (p < 0.001). Compared to the use of nonselective media (MacConkey agar alone), the use of selective media (MacConkey agar with 10 μg/ml of ciprofloxacin or 5 μg/ml of gentamicin) increased the sensitivity of screening for CPRE and GNRE by 6.6- and 13.5-fold, respectively. CPRE and GNRE were identified in 609 (49.7%) and 840 (68.5%) samples, respectively. This study provides novel data regarding both the epidemiology of CPRE and GNRE carriage in livestock and the microbiological methodology for their surveillance.
Abstract Background Efficient infection control during carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales outbreaks demands rapid and simple techniques for outbreak investigations. WGS, the current gold standard for outbreak identification, is expensive, time-consuming and requires a high level of expertise. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy (IR Biotyper) is a rapid typing method based on infrared radiation applied to samples, which provides a highly specific absorption spectrum. Objectives To investigate an outbreak of OXA-48-producing Escherichia coli in real-time using FTIR and subsequently compare the results with WGS. Methods Twenty-one isolates were collected during a nosocomial outbreak, and identification and antibiotic susceptibilities were confirmed by VITEK®2. FTIR was conducted for all isolates, and nine representative isolates were sequenced. Results FTIR was able to correctly determine the clonal relatedness of the isolates and to identify the outbreak cluster, as confirmed by WGS. By WGS, isolates in the main FTIR cluster belonged to the same MLST type and core-genome MLST type, and they harboured similar plasmids and resistance genes, whereas the singletons external to the FTIR cluster had different genetic content. Conclusions FTIR can operate as a rapid, efficient and reliable first-line tool for outbreak investigations during a real-time ongoing E. coli outbreak, which can contribute to limiting the spread of pathogens.
Background: During 2006, Israeli hospitals faced a clonal outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, producing the serine carbapenemase KPC-3. Locally-implemented infection control measures in affected hospitals failed to contain spread. A nationwide intervention was launched to contain the outbreak and introduce a strategy to control future dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals. Methods: In March 2007, the Ministry of Health issued guidelines mandating physical separation of hospitalized carriers of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and dedicated staffing, and appointed a professional task force charged with containing spread of the epidemic strain. The task force paid site visits at acute care hospitals, evaluated infection control policies and laboratory methods, supervised adherence to the guidelines via daily census reports on carriers and their conditions of isolation, provided regular feedback on performance to hospital directors, and intervened additionally when necessary. During 2008, the intervention was extended to long-term care facilities, and in June 2008 national guidelines for active surveillance were issued. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of clinically diagnosed nosocomial CRE cases in acute care hospitals. Results: By March 2007, over 1200 patients were affected in acute care hospitals. Prior to the intervention, the monthly incidence of noscomial CRE climbed steadily, peaking at over 180 cases. Crude 30-day mortality was > 30%. With the intervention, the continuous rise in incidence of CRE acquisition was halted, and at the end of the 14-month initial intervention period the number of new monthly cases was 46. Following the introduction of active surveillance guidelines, monthly incidence fell further, reaching a low of 24 as of October 2009. A direct correlation was observed between compliance with isolation guidelines and success in containment of in-hospital CRE transmission. Conclusions: A centrally-coordinated public health intervention has succeeded in containing a nationwide outbreak of CRE in Israeli hospitals after local measures failed. The intervention demonstrates the importance of strategic planning and national oversight in combating antimicrobial resistance. Abstracts for SupplementInternational Journal of Infectious DiseasesVol. 14Preview Full-Text PDF Open Archive
Infections caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-KP) are on a constant rise and are a noted cause of outbreaks in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). We used whole genome sequencing (WGS) to investigate the epidemiology of consecutive and overlapping outbreaks caused by ESBL-KP in NICUs in three hospitals in close proximity. Clonality of 43 ESBL-KP isolates from 40 patients was determined by BOX-PCR. Short-read sequencing was performed on representative isolates from each clone. The dominant clones from each NICU were sequenced using long-read sequencing. Bioinformatics methods were used to define multilocus sequence type (MLST), analyze plasmid content, resistomes, and virulence factors. In each NICU, we found a unique dominant clone (ST985, ST37, and ST35), each belonging to a distinct sequence type (ST), as well as satellite clones. A satellite strain in NICU-2 (ST35) was the dominant strain in NICU-3, where it was isolated four weeks later, suggesting transmission. NICU-1- and NICU-2-dominant strains had blaCTX-M-15 carried on a similar transposable element (Tn3-ISEcp1) but at different locations: on a plasmid and on the chromosome, respectively. We concluded that the overlapping ESBL-KP outbreaks were a combination of clonal transmission within NICUs, possible transposable element transmission between NICUs, and repeated importation of ESBL-KP from the community.
The IR Biotyper is a new automated typing system based on Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy that gives results within 4 h. We aimed (i) to use the IR Biotyper to retrospectively analyze an outbreak of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-KP) in a neonatal intensive care unit and to compare results to BOX-PCR and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) results as the gold standard and (ii) to assess how the cutoff values used to define clusters affect the discriminatory power of the IR Biotyper.
Abstract Background Limited data exist on the long-term consequences of bloodstream infections (BSI). We examined incidence, 1-year mortality, and years of potential life lost (YPLL) following BSI by eight sentinel bacteria in adults. We also estimated the relative contribution of hospital-onset BSI (HO-BSI) and of antibiotic-resistant BSI to the burden of BSI. Methods We used data from Israel's national BSI surveillance system (covering E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, A. baumannii, S. pneumoniae, S. aureus, E. faecalis and E. faecium, comprising 70% of all BSI) and the national death registry. Adults with BSI between 1/1/2018 and 31/12/2019 were included. The outcomes were all-cause 30-day and 1-year mortality. We constructed Kaplan-Meier curves and used the log-rank test to compare survival between age groups. We calculated the age-standardized mortality rate and YPLL using the Global Burden of Disease reference population and life expectancy tables. Results A total of 25,376 BSI occurred over 2 years in the adult Israeli population (mean adult population: 6,068,580). Drug-resistant BSI comprised 32% of all events (41.1% of HO-BSI). The annual BSI incidence was 209 per 100,000 population. The case fatality rate (CFR) was 25.6% at 30 days and 46.4% at 1 year. The 1-year CFR was higher among males than females (RR=1.17, 95% CI 1.14–1.20) and it increased with age (OR=1.37 per decade, 95% CI 1.36–1.39). In all age groups survival continued to decline up to 1 year (Figure). For the outcome of 1-year mortality, the annual age-standardized mortality rate and YPLL per 100,000 population following BSI were 48.6 and 1002.2, respectively. For comparison, the global mortality rate and YPLL from ischemic stroke are 36.6 and 521.8 per 100,000, respectively. HO-BSI represented 27.4% of BSI but contributed to 33.9% of deaths and 39.9% of YPLL. HO-BSI by drug-resistant bacteria represented 11.3% of BSI, 14.8% of deaths, and 17.4% of YPLL. Conclusion BSI have grave long-term consequences: nearly 50% of affected adult patients died within 1 year. The burden of BSI is higher than that of ischemic stroke. HO-BSI and drug-resistant BSI contribute disproportionately to BSI mortality and YPLL. Attention and resources should be directed to prevention of BSI, as well as to advances in early diagnosis and better treatment. Disclosures Yehuda Carmeli, MD, Allecra Therapeutics: Advisor/Consultant|MSD: Advisor/Consultant|Nabriva: Advisor/Consultant|Pfizer: Advisor/Consultant|Qpex Pharmaceuticals: Advisor/Consultant|Roche: Advisor/Consultant|Shinogi: Advisor/Consultant|Spero Therapeutics: Advisor/Consultant.
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