L.A. County Acts To Combat Spread Of Deadly Antibiotic-Resistant Infection

LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles County health officials mandated Thursday that all acute care hospitals and skilled nursing facilities in the region must report drug-resistant CRE cases to the public health department.

"In order for Public Health to better address the emerging threat of CRE and other multi-drug resistant organisms, I am issuing an order that CRE be reported by all acute care hospitals and skilled nursing facilities in Los Angeles County," said Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, the county's interim health officer.

"Public Health will use this information to prevent the spread of CRE and other antimicrobial resistant organisms by monitoring trends, developing guidance and interventions for healthcare facilities, and by identifying and responding to outbreaks," he said.

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae are a group of drug-resistant bacteria that cause serious healthcare-associated infections and outbreaks throughout the county.

CRE infections typically occur in patients in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care settings. Patients whose care requires devices like ventilators, urinary catheters or intravenous catheters, and patients who are taking long courses of certain antibiotics, are most at risk for CRE infections.

CRE infections are difficult to treat because they have high levels of resistance to antibiotics and have a high mortality rate. They are also easily spread between patients in health care facilities.

-- City News Service, photo courtesy of the CDC