Cyprus has seen a noteworthy 275.5% increase in bloodstream infections due to Enterobacterales resistant to carbapenem antibiotics, ranking it the fourth highest among European Union countries grappling with this growing health issue, based on an updated report from the ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control). Hungary is leading the pack with an alarming rise of 744.4%, followed by Sweden and Croatia with rises of 300% and 277.5% respectively.
The ECDC report highlights an urgent need to stem the spread of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) between hospitals and across regional borders, given their high risk potential for patients and European healthcare systems. According to the latest ECDC risk assessments, the epidemiological situation has been on a downward spiral since 2019. The report emphasizes that bloodstream infections due to carbapenem-resistant K pneumoniae have spiked in 23 EU nations due to the continued spread of high-risk multidrug-resistant strains within hospital settings.
Strains of K pneumoniae that cause severe diseases, including the hypervirulent lineage K pneumoniae ST23, are showing increased resistance to carbapenem. CRE other than K pneumoniae, are also spreading within hospitals. The ECDC also noted an increase in the detection of certain carbapenem-resistant E coli strains, which pose a potential community spread risk.
With the high probability of further CRE spread within hospitals and communities, the ECDC Chief Scientist, Piotr Kramarz, emphasized the essential need for immediate action to curb this problem and protect patients from ever more complex treatment scenarios. The ECDC warns that despite the critical nature of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, their implementation in many hospitals remains suboptimal, making it challenging to contain these high-risk CRE strains.
Therefore, as the agency underlines, there is an urgent need across all EU/EEA countries for stronger national coordination, especially between hospitals and regions, better implementation of IPC measures, and a renewed focus on antimicrobial stewardship. The aim is to safeguard the effectiveness of carbapenems and newly approved antibiotics. The ECDC calls on all EU and EEA member states and respective healthcare institutions to up the ante in their efforts to stem the worsening epidemiological situation. The clear message remains: we must act now to contain further spread of CRE and protect both our patients and our communities.