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2012-05-08 News Flash, Central News Agency
Drug-Resistant Bacteria Screening: 16 Strains with KPC Gene Found in 13 Hospitals, Rendering Antibiotics Ineffective and Causing Patient Deaths.
A recent screening of drug-resistant bacteria in 13 hospitals uncovered 16 strains carrying the KPC resistance gene, which renders many antibiotics ineffective and has led to several patient deaths. These resistant bacteria were primarily concentrated in two northern hospitals, highlighting the need for stricter infection control measures.
Two years ago, a travel show cameraman was shot in India and received medical treatment there. Upon returning to Taiwan, he was found to carry Klebsiella pneumoniae with the super-resistant NDM-1 gene. This alarming discovery prompted 13 hospitals in Taiwan to voluntarily participate in a drug-resistant bacteria surveillance program. Over the past year, these hospitals submitted 512 bacterial strains for testing.
Testing by the Kunyang Laboratory of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) under the Department of Health confirmed that while no NDM-1-resistant bacteria were detected, 16 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae carried the KPC resistance gene. This gene can render broad-spectrum carbapenem antibiotics ineffective, making it a "superbug" in Taiwan.
Huang Jiqing, head of the CDC's Fifth Division, noted that 13 of the KPC-resistant strains were concentrated in two hospitals, suggesting a cluster outbreak. It is suspected that patients contracted the resistant bacteria during hospitalization, possibly due to inadequate isolation, or healthcare workers failing to follow proper hand hygiene and disinfection protocols, allowing the resistant bacteria to spread from patient to patient.
CDC epidemiologist Luo Yijun stated that for KPC-resistant bacteria, only the super-antibiotic "tigecycline" is reliably effective, while sulfonamides and aminoglycosides show partial effectiveness.
A CDC report published today in the *Epidemic Bulletin* revealed that among 27 patients affected by the KPC-resistant bacteria cluster and sporadic cases, 14 died. Additionally, in 2010, a patient infected with KPC-resistant bacteria abroad returned to Taiwan and was hospitalized, leading to the infection of another patient in the same coronary care unit.
Huang Jiqing noted that the resistance rate of KPC-carrying Klebsiella pneumoniae was about 1.2% in 2003 but rose to 8.4% by 2010.
CDC Deputy Director-General Shi Wen-yi emphasized that to curb the spread of resistant bacteria, healthcare facilities must strengthen hand hygiene, standard protective measures, and environmental disinfection, particularly for long-term hospitalized patients, those on ventilators, and elderly patients. 1010508
Source: http://life. chinatimes. com/ life/ 130518/ 132012050801142. html
Taiwanese Superbug Outbreak in 2 Hospitals
Drug-Resistant Bacteria Screening: 16 Strains with KPC Gene Found in 13 Hospitals, Rendering Antibiotics Ineffective and Causing Patient Deaths.
A recent screening of drug-resistant bacteria in 13 hospitals uncovered 16 strains carrying the KPC resistance gene, which renders many antibiotics ineffective and has led to several patient deaths. These resistant bacteria were primarily concentrated in two northern hospitals, highlighting the need for stricter infection control measures.
Two years ago, a travel show cameraman was shot in India and received medical treatment there. Upon returning to Taiwan, he was found to carry Klebsiella pneumoniae with the super-resistant NDM-1 gene. This alarming discovery prompted 13 hospitals in Taiwan to voluntarily participate in a drug-resistant bacteria surveillance program. Over the past year, these hospitals submitted 512 bacterial strains for testing.
Testing by the Kunyang Laboratory of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) under the Department of Health confirmed that while no NDM-1-resistant bacteria were detected, 16 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae carried the KPC resistance gene. This gene can render broad-spectrum carbapenem antibiotics ineffective, making it a "superbug" in Taiwan.
Huang Jiqing, head of the CDC's Fifth Division, noted that 13 of the KPC-resistant strains were concentrated in two hospitals, suggesting a cluster outbreak. It is suspected that patients contracted the resistant bacteria during hospitalization, possibly due to inadequate isolation, or healthcare workers failing to follow proper hand hygiene and disinfection protocols, allowing the resistant bacteria to spread from patient to patient.
CDC epidemiologist Luo Yijun stated that for KPC-resistant bacteria, only the super-antibiotic "tigecycline" is reliably effective, while sulfonamides and aminoglycosides show partial effectiveness.
A CDC report published today in the *Epidemic Bulletin* revealed that among 27 patients affected by the KPC-resistant bacteria cluster and sporadic cases, 14 died. Additionally, in 2010, a patient infected with KPC-resistant bacteria abroad returned to Taiwan and was hospitalized, leading to the infection of another patient in the same coronary care unit.
Huang Jiqing noted that the resistance rate of KPC-carrying Klebsiella pneumoniae was about 1.2% in 2003 but rose to 8.4% by 2010.
CDC Deputy Director-General Shi Wen-yi emphasized that to curb the spread of resistant bacteria, healthcare facilities must strengthen hand hygiene, standard protective measures, and environmental disinfection, particularly for long-term hospitalized patients, those on ventilators, and elderly patients. 1010508
Source: http://life. chinatimes. com/ life/ 130518/ 132012050801142. html