A systematic review and meta-analysis found a that a “substantial” proportion of infants younger than 3 months in low-resource countries were colonized with antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, researchers reported today in JAMA Network Open.
Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus are leading causes of bacterial infections in new-borns in LMICs and have been identified as the three main pathogens responsible for deaths attributable to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
But data on resistant infections in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is scarce because of limited access to healthcare and microbiologic testing, and even less is known about resistant infections in new-borns because of sample-collection challenges and low positivity rates of blood cultures.
To better understand the problem, a team of French researchers analysed literature on bacterial colonization, reasoning that colonization with resistant bacteria is less dependent on access to healthcare, samples are easier to collect, and colonization often precedes subsequent infection.
“Therefore, colonization data can fill existing knowledge gaps and enhance understanding of AMR spread,” the study authors wrote.
Health care settings and neonatal antibiotic administration appear to be important factors in the acquisition of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, highlighting the importance of strengthening infection control and antimicrobial stewardship in maternity and neonatal units in LMICs.
CIDRAP (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy)
by: Chris Dall