CDC Reports Rare, Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria in 27 States

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified 221 cases of bacteria with rare antibiotic resistance genes in 27 states during the first 9 months of 2017, according to a new report.

These cases with non-Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemases “have the potential to add to the U.S. carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) burden and represent an important opportunity to prevent the spread of novel resistance at its earliest stage,” according to the authors.

The report, which was published in the CDC’s Vital Signs, detailed the results of an analysis of 2006-2015 infection data from the National Healthcare Safety Network.

During their analysis, CDC researchers calculated changes in the annual proportion of pathogens with the extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) phenotype and CRE. CRE and carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) were also tested.

Findings revealed that the percentages of ESBL phenotype Enterobacteriaceae and CRE decreased by 2% (risk ratio [RR] 0.98) and 15% (RR 0.85) per year, respectively.

“The proportion of Enterobacteriaceae infections that were CRE remained lower and decreased more over time than the proportion that were ESBL phenotype,” the researchers wrote. “This difference might be explained by the more directed control efforts implemented to slow transmission of CRE than those applied for ESBL-producing strains.”

Furthermore, in carbapenemase testing of 4442 CRE and 1334 CRPA isolates from January to September 2017, 32% of CRE and 1.9% of CRPA isolates were found to be carbapenemase producers.

Most notably, in 1489 screening tests, 171 (11%) cases were positively identified as asymptomatic carriers of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The CDC continues to prioritize efforts geared towards rapidly detecting and limiting the spread of emerging forms of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, especially with its recent establishment of the Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory Network, the report said.

—Christina Vogt

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