Outbreak of carbapenem-resistant
- 1The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
- 2The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
- 3The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China; Corresponding author. The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, No. 6 Shuangyong Road, Nanning 530021, Guangxi, China. Tel.: +86 13877118618; fax: +86 5356594.
Abstract
Background: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) infections pose a significant threat to haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients. This study characterized CRAB isolates from post-HSCT patients and the ward environment to investigate potential reservoirs of clonal transmission. Presentation of the case: Six HSCT recipients with haematological malignancies were colonized or infected with CRAB. Five patients were identified through throat swab screening, whereas one was detected by urine culture. Of the 42 Acinetobacter baumannii isolates recovered from the HSCT ward environment, 27 (64.3%) were traced to the centralized drinking water supply, including buckets used for cooling and storing boiled water ( N = 2), patients’ drinking water ( N = 13), and water bottles ( N = 12). Whole-genome-based core genome multi-locus sequence typing identified a predominant clonal cluster (cluster A; N = 18) involving A. baumannii isolates from the HSCT ward. This cluster comprised five patient isolates (from five of the six CRAB-positive HSCT recipients) and 13 environmental isolates. Molecular epidemiological analysis revealed that 8 of the 13 environmental isolates (61.5%) originated from the centralized drinking water supply, including one isolate from buckets used for cooling and storing boiled water and seven isolates from patients’ drinking water or water bottles. Conclusion: These findings confirm the circulation of a clonal CRAB strain within the HSCT ward and demonstrate cross-transmission between patients and the environment. Contaminated containers used for storing and transporting drinking water may serve as potential reservoirs for CRAB, facilitating its dissemination within the ward. Strict adherence to standardized potable water management protocols is imperative to prevent CRAB transmission in high-risk units.
Related
- Outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in post–haematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients potentially caused by drinking water contamination
- Molecular epidemiological analysis of a suspected nosocomial outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella aerogenes.
- Outcomes of empirical ceftazidime avibactam plus colistin versus colistin regimens in carbapenem resistant gram negative infection under diagnostic uncertainty
- L-histidine metabolic reprogramming is associated with imipenem-relebactam resistance in carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae
- Phytochemical screening as an inhibitor of β-lactamases to overcome the carbapenem-resistant of Klebsiella pneumoniae
BibTeX
@article{luo2026outbreak,
title = {{Outbreak of carbapenem-resistant}},
author = {Xiaoyu Luo and Yinghua Zhang and Shihui Guo and Qiaoling Wei and Qunxiu Guo and Lanlan Li and Jingjing Ya and Juan Huang and Jinai Qin},
journal = {Infection Prevention in Practice},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1016/j.infpip.2026.100601},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infpip.2026.100601},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Outbreak of carbapenem-resistant
AU - Xiaoyu Luo
AU - Yinghua Zhang
AU - Shihui Guo
AU - Qiaoling Wei
AU - Qunxiu Guo
AU - Lanlan Li
AU - Jingjing Ya
AU - Juan Huang
AU - Jinai Qin
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/25
JO - Infection Prevention in Practice
DO - 10.1016/j.infpip.2026.100601
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infpip.2026.100601
AB - Background: Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) infections pose a significant threat to haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients. This study characterized CRAB isolates from post-HSCT patients and the ward environment to investigate potential reservoirs of clonal transmission. Presentation of the case: Six HSCT recipients with haematological malignancies were colonized or infected with CRAB. Five patients were identified through throat swab screening, whereas one was detected by urine culture. Of the 42 Acinetobacter baumannii isolates recovered from the HSCT ward environment, 27 (64.3%) were traced to the centralized drinking water supply, including buckets used for cooling and storing boiled water ( N = 2), patients’ drinking water ( N = 13), and water bottles ( N = 12). Whole-genome-based core genome multi-locus sequence typing identified a predominant clonal cluster (cluster A; N = 18) involving A. baumannii isolates from the HSCT ward. This cluster comprised five patient isolates (from five of the six CRAB-positive HSCT recipients) and 13 environmental isolates. Molecular epidemiological analysis revealed that 8 of the 13 environmental isolates (61.5%) originated from the centralized drinking water supply, including one isolate from buckets used for cooling and storing boiled water and seven isolates from patients’ drinking water or water bottles. Conclusion: These findings confirm the circulation of a clonal CRAB strain within the HSCT ward and demonstrate cross-transmission between patients and the environment. Contaminated containers used for storing and transporting drinking water may serve as potential reservoirs for CRAB, facilitating its dissemination within the ward. Strict adherence to standardized potable water management protocols is imperative to prevent CRAB transmission in high-risk units.
SN - 2590-0889
ER -