Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) in Danish clinical isolates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae: prevalence, β-lactamase distribution, phylogroups, and co-resistance.

BACKGROUND: Most Gram-negative community-acquired and nosocomial infections are caused by Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, among which increasing resistance due to extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) is a major problem. We present data from the first Danish nationwide prevalence study on ESBL-producing E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and Proteus mirabilis in blood and urine cultures from hospitals and the community.

METHODS: During September and October 2007, 13 of 15 Danish departments of clinical microbiology collected data and strains. Confirmatory ESBL test-positive isolates were sent to a central laboratory for species and ESBL-phenotype confirmation, extended susceptibility testing, phylogenetic grouping of E. coli strains, and ESBL gene characterization.

RESULTS: During the study, blood samples from 18,259 patients and urine samples from 47,504 patients were subjected to culture. Among 14,674 cultured isolates, 352 were confirmed to be ESBL-producers. Thus, the crude ESBL prevalence was 2.4% (range 1.5% of E. coli in community urine to 6.6% of K. pneumoniae in hospital urine). An average of 7.2 ESBL-producers per 100,000 consumed bed-days was calculated. Of the 352 reported ESBL-producers, 205 E. coli, 73 K. pneumoniae, and 1 P. mirabilis, were available for testing. CTX-M enzymes dominated, both in hospitals and in the community, occurring in 92% of E. coli and 88% of K. pneumoniae, and with CTX-M-15 constituting 60% and 77%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: Compared to 2003 data the ESBL prevalence in Denmark has increased significantly. In the ESBL-producers, reduced susceptibility towards both gentamicin and ciprofloxacin was seen among 43% E. coli and 55% K. pneumoniae, leaving clinicians in these cases with only a carbapenem for the treatment of serious infections. Part of this study was presented at the 20(th) European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, abstract P-1617.