

CDC says ‘nightmare bacteria’ a growing threat - tokenadult
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/cdc-warns-of-rise-in-nightmare-bacteria/2013/03/05/5596b952-85cb-11e2-999e-5f8e0410cb9d_story.html

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tokenadult
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official report "Vital Signs:
Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae":

[http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm62e0305a1.htm?s_c...](http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm62e0305a1.htm?s_cid=mm62e0305a1_e)

The report abstract, which leads into many more details:

"Background: Enterobacteriaceae are a family of bacteria that commonly cause
infections in health-care settings as well as in the community. Among
Enterobacteriaceae, resistance to broad-spectrum carbapenem antimicrobials has
been uncommon. Over the past decade, however, carbapenem-resistant
Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) have been recognized in health-care settings as a
cause of difficult-to-treat infections associated with high mortality.

"Methods: The percentage of acute-care hospitals reporting at least one CRE
from health-care–associated infections (HAIs) in 2012 was estimated using data
submitted to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) in 2012. The
proportion of Enterobacteriaceae infections that were CRE was calculated using
two surveillance systems: 1) the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance
system (NNIS) and NHSN (for 2001 and 2011, respectively) and 2) the
Surveillance Network–USA (TSN) (for 2001 and 2010). Characteristics of CRE
culture-positive episodes were determined using data collected as part of a
population-based CRE surveillance project conducted by the Emerging Infections
Program (EIP) in three states.

"Results: In 2012, 4.6% of acute-care hospitals reported at least one CRE HAI
(short-stay hospitals, 3.9%; long-term acute-care hospitals, 17.8%). The
proportion of Enterobacteriaceae that were CRE increased from 1.2% in 2001 to
4.2% in 2011 in NNIS/NHSN and from 0% in 2001 to 1.4% in 2010 in TSN; most of
the increase was observed in Klebsiella species (from 1.6% to 10.4% in
NNIS/NHSN). In the EIP surveillance, 92% of CRE episodes occurred in patients
with substantial health-care exposures.

"Conclusions: Carbapenem resistance among common Enterobacteriaceae has
increased over the past decade; most CRE are associated with health-care
exposures.

"Implications for Public Health: Interventions exist that could slow the
dissemination of CRE. Health departments are well positioned to play a leading
role in prevention efforts by assisting with surveillance, situational
awareness, and coordinating prevention efforts."

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tectonic
"During the first half of 2012, almost 200 hospitals and long-term acute-care
facilities treated at least one patient infected with these bacteria. The CDC
did not have statistics for fatalities."

