Illinois Hospital Experiences Outbreak of Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae

Cinnaminson, NJ, February 3rd, 2014
 
Last month, a number of media outlets described the growing threat of a “nightmare bacteria” that recently infected dozens of people and was centered at a hospital in the suburbs of Chicago.  The infections were caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, commonly referred to as CRE.
 
CRE are a family of germs that are difficult to treat because they have high levels of resistance to antibiotics. The term Carbapenem, describes a class of antibiotics that is frequently used to treat severe infections and is often considered the antibiotics of last resort.  Klebsiella species and Escherichia coli (E. coli) are examples of Enterobacteriaceae, a normal part of the human intestinal bacteria that can become-re carbapenemsistant.
 
Healthy people typically do not get CRE infections, but according to the CDC, more than 9,000 healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are caused by CRE each year. In healthcare settings, CRE infections most commonly occur among patients who are receiving treatment for other conditions. Patients whose care requires devices like ventilators, urinary or intravenous catheters, and patients who are taking long courses of certain antibiotics are most at risk for CRE infections.
 
“CRE infections are very difficult to treat and can be deadly,” said Jason Dobranic, Ph.D., Vice President of Microbiology and Life Sciences at EMSL Analytical, Inc.  “To prevent the spread of CRE, healthcare providers and patients must practice good hand hygiene and use Contact Precautions when appropriate.  Environmental cleaning and disinfection strategies are also important. At EMSL Analytical, we provide environmental testing services to help identify CRE and other superbugs.  EMSL also recently sponsored an online video about CRE to help educate the public about the organisms and how they are spread.”
 
To view the video about carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, please visit:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7wS6qZ5FeE
 
To learn more about environmental testing for CRE and other microbial pathogens, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email info@EMSL.com .
 
About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider of environmental, indoor air quality and materials testing services and products to professionals and the general public.  The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies. 

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