Update on CRE Surveillance in Ireland
This week Eurosurveillance published a rapid communications article on the first isolation and outbreak of OXA-48-type CRE in an Irish hospital. Five OXA-48-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae were detected in a tertiary referral hospital in Ireland between March and June 2011. None of the cases had received healthcare at a facility outside of Ireland in the previous 12 months. This is the first report of OXA-48-type CRE in Ireland and the occurrence of this outbreak is described as dramatically changing the epidemiology of CRE in Ireland.
HPSC has recently published Updated Interim National Recommendations on Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) screening in Acute Healthcare Facilities in Ireland on its website. Plans for a new study to detect the prevalence of CRE in Irish critical care units were described in the July issue of Epi-Insight.
Screening for CRE carriage is currently indicated for patients with history of admission to the following healthcare facilities for more than 48 hours in the past 12 months:
Republic of Ireland
- HSE-Mid-West Hospitals (Mid-Western Regional Hospital, St John’s Hospital, Ennis General Hospital, Nenagh General Hospital)
- St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin
Abroad
- Any healthcare facility in any foreign country
CRE information leaflets for patients are now available on the HPSC website.