Background. Ongoing surveillance of antimicrobial sensitivity patterns of bacteria isolated in bloodstream infections guides empiric antibiotic therapy in neonatal sepsis.Methods. Sensitivity profiles of neonatal bacterial bloodstream infections in a tertiary hospital were reviewed between 01/06/2009 and 30/06/2010 .Results. There were 246 episodes of bloodstream infection in 181 individuals—(14.06 episodes in10.35 patients/1000 patient days or 14.4 episodes in 10.6 babies/1000 live births. The majority were (93.5%) were late onset and most (54.9%) were gram positive. There were 2.28 sepsis-related deaths /1000 patient days or 2.3/1000 live births. Death was significantly associated with gram-negative infections (P<0.001), multiple gestation (P<0.001), shock (P=0.008), NEC (P=0.002), and shorter duration of hospital stay (P<0.001). Coagulase-negative staphylococcus was isolated in 19.1%,K. pneumoniaeESBL in 12.1%, andA. baumanniin 10.9%.S. agalactiaepredominated in early onset sepsis. Methicillin resistance was present in 86% of CoNS and 69.5% ofS. aureus; 46% enterococcal isolates were ampicillin resistant. The majority (65%) ofK. pneumoniaeisolates were ESBL producers. Ampicillin resistance was present in 96% ofE. coli.Conclusions. Penicillin and an aminoglycoside would be suitable empiric therapy for early onset sepsis and meropenem with gentamycin or ceftazidime with amikacin for late onset sepsis.

Multi-drug resistant organisms are an increasingly important cause of neonatal sepsis. This study aimed to review neonatal sepsis caused by multi-drug resistant Enterobacteriaceae (MDRE) in neonates in Johannesburg, South Africa. This was a cross sectional retrospective review of MDRE in neonates admitted to a tertiary neonatal unit between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2015. There were 465 infections in 291 neonates. 68.6% were very low birth weight (< 1500 g). The median age of infection was 14.0 days. Risk factors for MDRE included prematurity (p = 0.01), lower birth weight (p = 0.04), maternal HIV infection (p = 0.02) and oxygen on day 28 (p < 0.001). The most common isolate was Klebsiella pneumoniae (66.2%). Total MDRE isolates increased from 0.39 per 1000 neonatal admissions in 2013 to 1.4 per 1000 neonatal admissions in 2015 (p < 0.001). There was an increase in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) from 2.6% in 2013 to 8.9% in 2015 (p = 0.06). Most of the CRE were New Delhi metallo—β lactamase- (NDM) producers. The all-cause mortality rate was 33.3%. Birth weight (p = 0.003), necrotising enterocolitis (p < 0.001) and mechanical ventilation (p = 0.007) were significantly associated with mortality. Serratia marcescens was isolated in 55.2% of neonates that died. There was a significant increase in MDRE in neonatal sepsis during the study period, with the emergence of CRE. This confirms the urgent need to intensify antimicrobial stewardship efforts and address infection control and prevention in neonatal units in LMICs. Overuse of broad- spectrum antibiotics should be prevented.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are responsible for longer hospital stays, increased hospital costs, and poorer outcomes compared to methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) infections. We aimed to describe the epidemiology of S. aureus bacteraemia (SAB) and to determine factors associated with MRSA infection in South Africa. Cases of SAB were reported from September 2012 to September 2013 from three sentinel sites. A case was defined as the isolation of S. aureus from a blood culture during a 21-day period. Detailed clinical information was collected. Multivariable logistic regression was done to determine factors associated with MRSA infection and mortality. There were 442 cases of SAB reported; antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on 240 isolates (54%). Thirty-six percent (86/240) of cases had an MRSA infection. A longer hospital stay before positive specimen collection (odds ratio (OR) 1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.13, p=0.004), hospitalization in the last year (OR 15.7, 95% CI 2.5-99.5, p=0.003), HIV infection (OR 4.9, 95% CI 1.05-22.90, p=0.044), and antibiotic use in the previous 2 months (OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.01-0.68, p=0.022) were independent predictors of MRSA. Older age, and in particular age 25-44 years (OR 22.2, 95% CI 2.7-185.5, p=0.004, compared to those aged<5 years), was the only independent predictor of mortality amongst cases with SAB. MRSA isolates were non-susceptible to more antimicrobial agents compared to MSSA isolates. HIV infection was an independent risk factor for MRSA infection. The selection of appropriate empirical antimicrobial treatment is essential in patients with MRSA infections because of non-susceptibility to many other antimicrobial classes.

Background. Systemic disease due to shigellae is associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), malnutrition, and other immunosuppressed states. We examined the clinical and microbiologic characteristics of systemic shigellosis in South Africa, where rates of HIV infection are high. Methods. From 2003 to 2009, 429 cases of invasive shigellosis were identified through national laboratory-based surveillance. At selected sites, additional information was captured on HIV serostatus and outcome. Isolates were serotyped and antimicrobial susceptibility testing performed. Results. Most cases of systemic shigellosis were diagnosed on blood culture (408 of 429 cases; 95%). HIV prevalence was 67% (80 of 120 cases), highest in patients aged 5–54 years, and higher among females (55 of 70 cases; 79%) compared with males (25 of 48 cases; 52%; P = .002). HIV-infected people were 4.1 times more likely to die than HIV-uninfected cases (case-fatality ratio, 29 of 78 HIV-infected people [37%] vs 5 of 40 HIV-uninfected people [13%]; P = .008; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5–11.8). The commonest serotype was Shigella flexneri 2a (89 of 292 serotypes [30.5%]). Pentavalent resistance occurred in 120 of 292 isolates (41.1%). There was no difference in multidrug resistance between HIV-infected patients (33 of 71 [46%]) and uninfected patients (12 of 33 [36%]; 95% CI, .65--3.55). Conclusions. Systemic shigellosis is associated with HIV-infected patients, primarily in older girls and women, potentially due to the burden of caring for sick children in the home; interventions need to be targeted here. Death rates are higher in HIV-infected versus uninfected individuals.

National sentinel site surveillance for antimicrobial resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates in South Africa, 2010 - 2012

The aim of this study was to define factors associated with HIV-infected versus uninfected patients with invasive nontyphoidal Salmonella (iNTS) and factors associated with mortality, which are inadequately described in Africa. Laboratory-based surveillance for iNTS was undertaken. At selected sentinel sites, clinical data (age, sex, HIV status, severity of illness, and outcome) were collected. Surveillance was conducted in Gauteng, South Africa, from 2003 to 2013. Clinical and microbiological differences between HIV-infected and uninfected patients were defined and risk factors for mortality established. Of 4886 iNTS infections in Gauteng from 2003 to 2013, 3106 (63.5%) were diagnosed at sentinel sites. Among persons with iNTS infections, more HIV-infected persons were aged ≥5 years (χ2 = 417.6; P < 0.001) and more HIV-infected children were malnourished (χ2 = 5.8; P = 0.02). Although 760 (30.6%) patients died, mortality decreased between 2003 [97/263 (36.9%)] and 2013 [926/120 (21.7%)]. On univariate analysis, mortality was associated with patients aged 25 to 49 years [odds ratio (OR) = 2.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.7–2.7; P < 0.001 and ≥50 years (OR = 3.0; 95% CI = 2.2–4.1; P < 0.001) compared with children < 5 years, HIV-infected patients (OR = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.7–3.4; P < 0.001), and severe illness (OR = 5.4; 95% CI = 3.6–8.1; P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, mortality was associated with patients aged ≥50 years [adjusted OR (AOR) = 3.6, 95% CI = 2.1–6.1, P < 0.001] and severe illness (AOR = 6.3; 95% CI = 3.8–10.5; P < 0.001). Mortality due to iNTS in Gauteng remains high primarily due to disease severity. Interventions must be aimed at predisposing conditions, including HIV, other immune-suppressive conditions, and malignancy.