A Healthcare-Associated Outbreak of Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacter hormaechei in an Urban Region of Kentucky
- Presentation Day/Time: Friday, April 24, 2:05 PM
- Presenter: Chelsea McCullough, MD, MPH, EIS officer assigned to the Kentucky Department for Public Health
The Issue
- Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are an urgent public health threat due to rapid spread and high levels of antibiotic resistance. CRE are easily transmitted in the healthcare setting. In February 2025, CDC alerted the Kentucky Department for Public Health to a genomic cluster of extensively drug-resistant Enterobacter hormaechei identified in multiple healthcare facilities concentrated in an urban region of Kentucky
What We Did
- We investigated to characterize cases and facilitate containment.
What We Found
- Eighteen patients were identified from healthcare facilities in Kentucky and one neighboring state. Two sub-clusters were identified, however an epidemiologic link for most cases was not identified.
What This Means
- Outbreaks in patient-sharing networks present containment challenges. Effective control requires increased case detection, infection prevention vigilance, and strong partnerships between facilities and public health.
