This document assesses the risk associated with the dissemination of carbapenemase-producing hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) of sequence type (ST) 23 and other STs in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA).
Italy has reported an outbreak of Candida auris in the region of Liguria with at least 277 cases. The first C. auris case in Liguria was detected in one hospital in July 2019 and cases continued to occur sporadically in the same hospital.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries have caused significant morbidity and mortality since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This risk assessment details the latest epidemiological data in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) and the United Kingdom (UK) with a focus on older age groups and national reports of outbreaks among residents of LTCFs. All EU/EEA countries and the UK have experienced outbreaks among LTCF residents since August 2020.
Between 1st February and 26th November 2019, 199 cases of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (KPC-CRE) have been detected in Lithuania.
Germany has reported an outbreak of carbapenemase-producing (NDM-1 and OXA-48) and colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type (ST) 307. As of 21 October 2019, 17 patients in three hospitals and one rehabilitation clinic in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania in north-east Germany have been affected. Six of the 17 cases presented with clinical symptoms of infection, while 11 were identified as be carriers.
Carbapenem resistance in Enterobacteriaceae such as Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli poses a significant threat to patients and healthcare systems in all European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections are associated with high mortality, primarily due to delays in administration of effective treatment and the limited availability of treatment options.