Category Archives: Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR)

UK – FSA – Understanding antimicrobial resistance in foodborne pathogens

Gov UK

Our IID3 project will include an assessment of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacterial pathogens; the first IID project to do so. A better understanding of AMR in foodborne pathogens will support our contribution to the UK’s AMR National Action Plan.

Some bacteria that cause food poisoning are antimicrobial resistant (AMR). This means that antibiotics are ineffective, and infections are difficult or impossible to treat. Addressing the challenge of AMR and strengthening our knowledge about its implications, the bacteria that are most resistant and the antibiotics that they are resistant to, is crucial. If left unchecked, the increase of AMR could lead to the risk of disease being spread. Through projects such as IID3, we are able to learn more about AMR in foodborne pathogens with the aim of supporting work to prevent the spread.

USA – CDC – Persistent Strain of Salmonella Newport (REPJJP01) Linked to Travel to Mexico, Beef, and Soft Cheese

CDC

REPJJP01

REPJJP01 is a persistent, multidrug-resistant strain of Salmonella Newport bacteria that has caused illnesses and outbreaks in the United States and globally.

Illness caused by this strain was first reported to PulseNet in late 2015. As of March 31, 2023, information from 2,423 people infected with REPJJP01 was reported to PulseNet. Among 1,378 people interviewed, 31% were hospitalized. Among 1,175 people with information on the outcome of infection, fewer than 1% died. Among 1,312 ill people, 63% self-identified as Hispanic/Latino, 33% self-identified as non-Hispanic/Latino White, and 4% self-identified as being non-Hispanic/Latino and another race. The median age of ill people was 38 years (interquartile range, 22–55 years) and 55% were female. Illnesses caused by this strain happen throughout the year but are less common in winter.

Almost half (49%) of 1,383 people with information reported traveling to Mexico before their illness began. People with illness caused by REPJJP01 also have reported consuming contaminated beef products from the United States and Mexico and consuming contaminated cheese (including queso fresco and Oaxaca cheese) obtained in Mexico.

This strain of Salmonella Newport is relatively diverse genetically. Bacteria in this strain are within 21 allele differences of one another by core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST). This is more genetically diverse than typical multistate foodborne outbreaks in which bacteria generally fall within 10 allele differences of one another.

What are Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR) Bacteria?

News Medical

Resistance to antimicrobial agents is a growing and worrying phenomenon. Extensively drug-resistant bacteria, or XDR bacteria, are a type of multidrug-resistant organisms that are resistant to almost all or all approved antimicrobial agents.

The origin of XDR bacteria

The term was first coined in response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis that was resistant to first-line agents (isoniazid and rifampicin), a fluoroquinolone, and to one or more second-line parenteral drugs (amikacin, kanamycin, and capreomycin). This was later expanded to include other bacteria that were resistant to most standard antimicrobial treatments.

Defining XDR bacteria

XDR bacteria are different from multidrug-resistant bacteria and pan-drug resistant bacteria. The difference is mainly interpreted as to what extent the bacteria are drug-resistant, with multidrug-resistant bacteria being unsusceptible to one or more antimicrobial agents and pan-drug resistant bacteria being unsusceptible to all antimicrobial agents.

Therefore, XDR bacteria rest somewhere in between these two categories. Occasionally, definitions are based on broader categories of antimicrobials rather than agents, which therefore narrows the bacteria fitting the description. However, this system is often seen as more informative by healthcare professionals treating afflicted patients with various antimicrobial classes.

Read more at the link above