SummaryBackground Gaps in the diagnostic capacity and heterogeneity of national surveillance and reporting standards in Europe make it diffi cult to contain carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. We report the development of a consistent sampling framework and the results of the fi rst structured survey on the occurrence of carbapenemaseproducing Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli in European hospitals.

ObjectiveOur aim was to prospectively assess the antibiotic resistance rates in Helicobacter pylori strains in Europe in 2018 and to study the link between antibiotic consumption in the community and H. pylori resistance levels in the different countries.DesignThe proportion of primary antibiotic resistance cases of H. pylori and their corresponding risk factors were investigated in 24 centres from 18 European countries according to a standardised protocol. Data on antibiotic consumption in the community were collected for the period 2008–2017. The link between antibiotic consumption and resistance data was assessed using generalised linear mixed models. The model with the best fit was selected by means of the Akaike Information Criterion.ResultsH. pylori resistance rates for the 1211 adult patients included were 21.4% for clarithromycin, 15.8% for levofloxacin and 38.9% for metronidazole and were significantly higher in Central/Western and Southern than in the Northern European countries.The best model fit was obtained for the Poisson distribution using 2013 consumption data. A significant association was found between H. pylori clarithromycin resistance and consumption in the community of macrolides (p=0.0003) and intermediate-acting macrolides (p=0.005), and between levofloxacin resistance and consumption of quinolones (p=0.0002) and second-generation quinolones (p=0.0003).ConclusionThis study confirms the positive correlation between macrolide and quinolone consumption in the community and corresponding H. pylori resistance in European countries. Hence, H. pylori treatment with clarithromycin and levofloxacin should not be started without susceptibility testing in most European countries.

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During a PCR-based surveillance study of ␤-lactam resistance, 125 multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii isolates were obtained from 18 hospitals in Belgium from January 2008 to December 2009. Nine GES-positive A. baumannii isolates were detected at 6 Belgian hospitals. DNA sequencing of the bla GES genes identified GES-11, GES-12, and a novel variant GES-14, which differs from GES-11 by a single amino acid substitution (Gly170Ser). All index isolates were travel associated and originated from patients transferred from Turkey (n ‫؍‬ 2), Egypt (n ‫؍‬ 2), and Palestinian territories (Gaza) (n ‫؍‬ 2). A nosocomial outbreak involving three additional patients occurred in a burn unit at a single hospital. No clonal relatedness could be established between the 6 index isolates by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis. Three different alleles (the plasmid-located bla GES-11 and bla GES-12 and a likely chromosomally located novel variant bla GES-14 ) were detected as part of a class 1 integron, also including the aac6Ib and dfrA7 genes. Restriction analysis of plasmids suggests a common origin for the plasmids bearing bla GES-11 and bla GES-12 . Cloning of the bla GES genes in Escherichia coli identified GES-14 as hydrolyzing imipenem, while GES-12 showed the highest specific activity against ceftazidime. This report highlights the emergence of various bla GES-like genes, especially those conferring carbapenem resistance in A. baumannii and its importation in Western Europe from Middle Eastern countries.

ObjectivesA national survey was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk factors of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), extended-spectrum β-lactamases-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBLE) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) among nursing home residents in Belgium.MethodsA random stratified, national prevalence survey was conducted in nursing home residents who were screened for carriage of ESBLE, MRSA and VRE by multisite enriched culture. Characteristics of nursing homes and residents were collected by a questionnaire survey and were analysed by multilevel logistic regression analysis.ResultsOf 2791 screened residents in 60 participating nursing home, the weighted prevalence of ESBLE and MRSA carriage were 6.2% (range: 0 to 20%) and 12.2% (range: 0 to 36%), respectively. No cases of VRE were found. No relationship was found between ESBLE and MRSA prevalence rates within nursing homes and the rate of co-colonization was very low (0.8%). Geographical variations in prevalence of MRSA and ESBLE and in distribution of ESBL types in nursing home residents paralleled that of acute hospitals. Risk factors of ESBLE carriage included previously known ESBLE carriage, male gender, a low level of mobility and previous antibiotic exposure. Risk factors for MRSA colonization were: previously known MRSA carriage, skin lesions, a low functional status and antacid use.ConclusionsA low prevalence of ESBLE carriage was found in nursing home residents in Belgium. The prevalence of MRSA carriage decreased substantially in comparison to a similar survey conducted in 2005. A low functional status appeared as a common factor for ESBLE and MRSA carriage. Previous exposure to antibiotics was a strong predictor of ESBLE colonization while increased clustering of MRSA carriage suggested the importance of cross-transmission within nursing homes for this organism. These results emphasize the need for global coordination of the surveillance of MDRO within and between nursing homes and hospitals.