Revisiting the Frequency and Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of Bacteria Implicated in Community Urinary Tract Infections

Bacterial Diversity and Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Community-Acquired Urinary Tract Infections in Mega Size Clinical Samples of Egyptian Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

 Community-acquired urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infectious diseases nowadays. Alarming increased levels of antimicrobial resistance are developing globally which limit treatment options and may lead to life-threatening problems.

AIM

Our study aimed to collect surveillance data on non-hospitalized Egyptian UTI cases and to develop strategies against multidrug-resistant pathogens (MDR). According to our knowledge, this is the first study to screen this high number (15,252 urine samples) in a short period (three months), providing valuable data on resistance profiles in non-hospitalized Egyptian UTI patients.

METHODS

A total of 15,252 urine samples were collected from different patients. Positive cultures were identified using a semi-quantitative method. Kirby-Bauer's disc diffusion method was used for antibiotic susceptibility testing, the double disc diffusion method was used for extended-spectrum beta-lactamases-producing strains, and the Chi-square test was used for statistical data processing.

RESULTS

The results showed 61% positive cultures, females accounted for 67.5%. Infants and elderly patients showed the highest positive cultures (74.4% and 69.2%, respectively). Despite Escherichia coli being the most common uropathogen (47.19%), Klebsiella species(24.42%) were the most MDR and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing organisms. E. coli and Klebsiella spp. displayed increased resistance to cephalosporins (75% and 81%, respectively). In contrast, both organisms displayed high sensitivity to carbapenems. Unlike Klebsiella spp., E. coli was highly sensitive (92%) to first-line treatment (nitrofurantoin) for UTI. Moreover, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole showed higher sensitivity rates compared to other nations.

CONCLUSION

 Despite Escherichia coli being the most often identified bacteria in our isolates Klebsiella spp. displayed higher resistance to the majority of tested antibiotics. Fortunately, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole significantly increased sensitivity, especially against E. coli. However, both species showed high rates of cephalosporin resistance. Moreover, It is important to promote Egypt's national action plan for antimicrobial resistance in collaboration with the World Health Organization, especially in the community to minimize the chance of bacterial resistance in the Egyptian community.

High frequency of Enterococcus faecalis detected in urinary tract infections in male outpatients - a retrospective, multicenter analysis, Germany 2015 to 2020

BACKGROUND

Urinary tract infections (UTI) in men differ relevantly to women by their pathogens. Gram-positive uropathogens play a relevant role in UTI in men. In this study, we aimed to analyze the epidemiology of Enterococcus faecalis in UTI in male outpatients.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective observational multicenter study during 2015 to 2020 consisting of urine samples of 99,415 adult male outpatients sent from 6,749 outpatient practices from Germany. Proportions were compared using the z-Test and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using the Clopper-Pearson method.

RESULTS

E. faecalis is the 2nd most frequent bacteria (16%) detected in suspected UTI in male outpatients. Young men are predominantly at risk (17%) for isolation of E. faecalis in suspected UTI. In polymicrobial infections E. faecalis is isolated in 47% of all suspected UTI in men. Recurrency of suspected UTI is significantly more frequent when E. faecalis is isolated compared to Escherichia coli (22% vs 26%; p < .001). Recurrency rates of E. faecalis associated UTI increases by age from 12% (18-29 years) to 28% ([Formula: see text] 70 years); p < .001. Congruently the resistance of E. faecalis against ciprofloxacin increases by age from 22% (18-29 years; 2019) to 37% ([Formula: see text] 70 years; 2019); p < .001.

CONCLUSIONS

E. faecalis is frequently isolated in suspected UTI in male patients. Consequently, Nitrate-sticks results cannot be recommended to exclude UTI in men. The empirical use of ciprofloxacin in young adults can be reasonable. Frequent recurrences in E. faecalis associated suspected UTI emphasizes the importance of microbiological pathogen identification and susceptibility testing in men suffering from UTI.

Patterns of Drug Resistance and Bacterial Pathogen Distribution in Patients with Urinary Tract Infections in the Jiaxing Region from 2020 to 2022

Background

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) and the antibiotic resistance of pathogenic bacteria pose severe threats to public health in the current healthcare environment.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency distribution of bacterial pathogens causing UTIs as well as the characteristics of antibiotic susceptibility and resistance.

Methods

The retrospective study was conducted on 32,391 samples of midstream urine culture from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022, in Jiaxing. Bacteria were cultivated on blood agar and identified using MALDI-TOF, and their susceptibility to different antibiotics was assessed using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method and drug sensitivity reaction cards. The SPSS 22 software was used for data analysis. Bivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors for multidrug resistance.

Results

The total number of positive growth samples was 5378 (16.6%), including 3206 females (59.6%) and 2172 males (40.4%). The four most common urinary pathogens were Escherichia coli (39.2%), Enterococcus faecalis (12.4%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (7.6%), and Enterococcus faecium (7.6%). As far as antibiotic resistance was concerned, Escherichia coli had a greater than 50% resistance rate to ampicillin (76.1%), ciprofloxacin (58.6%), and levofloxacin (51.2%). The multidrug resistance rate was high (41.8%). Low levels of resistance were seen to ertapenem (0.1%), imipenem (0.7%), meropenem (0.7%), piperacillin/tazobactam (0.7%), and nitrofurantoin (1.8%). Klebsiella pneumoniae was highly sensitive to ertapenem (100%). The resistance rates to nitrofurantoin, ceftriaxone, and ciprofloxacin were 37.4%, 37.1%, and 35.1%, respectively. Up to 41% of Escherichia coli strains and 26% of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains produced extended-spectrum lactamases (ESBL). Two species of enterococci were highly sensitive to tigecycline and linezolid (100%), and a small number of norvancomycin-resistant strains (0.2%/two strains) were found.

Conclusion

Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecium were the most common urinary pathogens in this study. The isolated pathogens showed different sensitivity patterns. Antibiotics should be selected reasonably according to the sensitivity mode of pathogenic bacteria to effectively treat and prevent urinary tract infections.

Association Between Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Virulence Genes and Severity of Infection and Resistance to Antibiotics

Purpose

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most frequent bacterial infection. Some uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) genes have been associated with disease severity and antibiotic resistance. The aim was to determine the association of nine UPEC virulence genes with UTI severity and antibiotic resistance of strains collected from adults with community-acquired UTI.

Patients and Methods

A case-control study (1:3) (38 urosepsis/pyelonephritis and 114 cystitis/urethritis) was conducted. The fimH, sfa/foc, cvaC, hlyA, iroN, fyuA, ireA, iutA, and aer (the last five are siderophore genes) virulence genes were determined by PCR. The information of antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the strains was collected from medical records. This pattern was determined using an automated system for antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) was defined as resistance to three or more antibiotic families.

Results

fimH was the most frequently detected virulence gene (94.7%), and sfa/foc was the least frequently detected (9.2%); 55.3% (83/150) of the strains were MDR. The evaluated genes were not associated with UTI severity. Associations were found between the presence of hlyA and carbapenem resistance (Odds ratio [OR] = 7.58, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.50-35.42), iutA and fluoroquinolone resistance (OR = 2.35, 95% CI, 1.15-4.84, and aer (OR = 2.8, 95% CI, 1.20-6.48) and iutA (OR = 2.95, 95% CI, 1.33-6.69) with penicillin resistance. In addition, iutA was the only gene associated with MDR (OR = 2.09, 95% CI,1.03-4.26).

Conclusion

There was no association among virulence genes and UTI severity. Three of the five iron uptake genes were associated with resistance to at least one antibiotic family. Regarding the other four non-siderophore genes, only hlyA was associated with antibiotic resistance to carbapenems. It is essential to continue studying bacterial genetic characteristics that cause the generation of pathogenic and multidrug-resistant phenotypes of UPEC strains.

Uropathogens' Antibiotic Resistance Evolution in a Female Population: A Sequential Multi-Year Comparative Analysis

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) represent a common finding among females and an important basis for antibiotic treatment. Considering the significant increase in antibiotic resistance during the last decades, this study retrospectively follows the incidence of uropathogens and the evolution of resistance rates in the short and medium term. The current study was conducted at the "Prof. Dr. Th. Burghele" Clinical Hospital, including 1124 positive urine cultures, in three periods of four months between 2018 and 2022. Escherichia coli was the most frequent uropathogen (54.53%), followed by Klebsiella spp. (16.54%), and Enterococcus spp. (14.59%). The incidence of UTIs among the female population is directly proportional to age, with few exceptions. The highest overall resistance in Gram-negative uropathogens was observed for levofloxacin 30.69%, followed by ceftazidime 13.77% and amikacin 9.86%. The highest resistance in Gram-positive uropathogens was observed for levofloxacin 2018-R = 34.34%, 2020-R = 50.0%, and 2022-R = 44.92%, and penicillin 2018-R = 36.36%, 2020-R = 41.17%, and 2022-R = 37.68%. In Gram-negative uropathogens, a linear evolution was observed for ceftazidime 2018-R = 11.08%, 2020-R = 13.58%, and 2022-R = 17.33%, and levofloxacin 2018-R = 28.45%, 2020-R = 33.33%, and 2022-R = 35.0%. The current knowledge dictates the need to continuously assess antimicrobial resistance patterns, information that is necessary for treatment recommendations. The present study aims to determine the current situation and the evolution trends according to the current locoregional situation.

Risk Factors and the Impact of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria on Community-Acquired Urinary Sepsis

Risk factors for multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDRB) in nosocomial urinary tract infection (UTI) have been widely studied. However, these risk factors have not been analyzed in community-acquired urinary sepsis (US), nor have its outcomes been studied. The aim of our study is to determine risk factors for MDRB in community-acquired US and its influence on outcomes. Prospective observational study of patients with community-acquired US admitted to a university hospital. We compared epidemiological and clinical variables and outcomes of US due to MDRB and non-MDRB. Independent risk factors for MDRB were analyzed using logistic regression. A total of 193 patients were included, 33.7% of them with US due to MDRB. The median age of patients was 82 years. Hospital mortality was 17.6%, with no difference between the MDRB and non-MDRB groups. The length of hospital stay was 5 (4-8) days, with a non-significant tendency to longer hospital stays in the MDRB group (6 (4-10) vs. 5 (4-8) days, p = 0.051). Healthcare-associated US was found to be an independent risk factor for MDR bacteria by multivariate analysis. In conclusion, the impact of MDR bacteria on the outcomes of community-acquired urinary sepsis was mild. Healthcare-associated US was an independent risk factor for MDR bacteria.

Enterococcal Urinary Tract Infections: A Review of the Pathogenicity, Epidemiology, and Treatment

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common causes of infections worldwide and can be caused by numerous uropathogens. Enterococci are Gram-positive, facultative anaerobic commensal organisms of the gastrointestinal tract that are known uropathogens. Enterococcus spp. has become a leading cause of healthcare associated infections, ranging from endocarditis to UTIs. In recent years, there has been an increase in multidrug resistance due to antibiotic misuse, especially in enterococci. Additionally, infections due to enterococci pose a unique challenge due to their ability to survive in extreme environments, intrinsic antimicrobial resistance, and genomic malleability. Overall, this review aims to highlight the pathogenicity, epidemiology, and treatment recommendations (according to the most recent guidelines) of enterococci.

Fluoroquinolones Are Useful as Directed Treatment for Complicated UTI in a Setting with a High Prevalence of Quinolone-Resistant Microorganisms

Fluoroquinolones (FQs) have been widely used for treating urinary tract infections (UTIs); however, the increasing emergence of resistant strains has compromised their use. We aimed to know the usefulness of FQs for the treatment of community-acquired UTI in a setting with a high prevalence of fluoroquinolone-resistant microorganisms. A prospective observational study of patients diagnosed with community-acquired UTI was conducted, in which their outcomes according to whether they had FQs or not in their empirical and directed treatments were compared. A multivariate analysis was performed to identify risk factors for UTIs due to ciprofloxacin-resistant microorganisms. A total of 419 patients were included; 162 (38.7%) patients were treated with FQs, as empirical treatment in 27 (6.4%), and as directed treatment in 135 (32.2%). In-hospital mortality (2.2% vs. 6.6%, p 0.044) and 30-day mortality (4.4 vs. 11%, p 0.028) were both lower in the group of patients directly treated with FQ, while there were no differences when FQs were used as empirical treatment. A total of 37.2% of the cases were resistant to ciprofloxacin, which was associated with healthcare-associated UTI (OR 2.7, 95% CI 2-3.7) and prior exposure to FQs (OR 2.7, 95 % CI 1.9-3.7). In conclusion, our findings show that in a setting with a high prevalence of community-acquired UTI caused by quinolone-resistant microorganisms, FQs as directed treatment for community-acquired UTI were associated with better outcomes than other antibiotics, but their use as empirical treatment is not indicated, even in those cases without risk factors for quinolones resistance.

Limited Therapeutic Options in Mexico for the Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections

The rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has complicated the management of urinary tract infections (UTIs). The objective of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Design: prospective observational study. Bacteria were classified as susceptible or resistant to ampicillin-sulbactam, amikacin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMZ), ertapenem, meropenem, and fosfomycin. The sensitivity to fosfomycin and chloramphenicol was evaluated by the disk diffusion method. Statistical analysis: the chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were used to compare differences between categories. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Isolates were collected from January 2019 to November 2020 from 21 hospitals and laboratories. A total of 238 isolates were received: a total of 156 E. coli isolates and 82 K. pneumoniae isolates. The majority were community-acquired infections (64.1%). Resistance was >20% for beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, and TMP/SMZ. For E. coli isolates, resistance was <20% for amikacin, fosfomycin, and nitrofurantoin; for K. pneumoniae, amikacin, fosfomycin, chloramphenicol, and norfloxacin. All were susceptible to carbapenems. K. pneumoniae isolates registered a higher proportion of extensively drug-resistant bacteria in comparison with E. coli (p = 0.0004). In total, multidrug-resistant bacteria represented 61% of all isolates. Isolates demonstrated high resistance to beta-lactams, fluoro-quinolones, and TMP/SMZ.