Characterisation of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from bloodstream infections, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Staphylococcus aureus is known worldwide as an invasive pathogen, but information on S. aureus from bloodstream infections in Central Africa remains scarce. A collection of S. aureus blood culture isolates recovered from hospitals in four provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2009-2013) was assessed. A total of 27/108 isolates were methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), of which >70% were co-resistant to aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, macrolides and lincosamides. For MRSA and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) isolates, resistance to chloramphenicol and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) was <10%. However, 66.7% (72/108) of all isolates harboured the trimethoprim resistance gene dfrG. More than three-quarters (84/108, 77.8%) of isolates belonged to CC5, CC8, CC121 or CC152. Genetic diversity was higher among MSSA (31 spa types) compared to MRSA (four spa types). Most MRSA (23/27, 85.2%) belonged to CC8-spa t1476-SCCmec V and 17/23 (73.9%) MRSA ST8 were oxacillin susceptible but cefoxitin resistant. Among MRSA and MSSA combined, 49.1% (53/108) and 19.4% (21/108) contained the genes encoding for Panton-Valentine leucocidin (lukS-lukF PV, PVL) and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (tst, TSST-1), respectively. PVL was mainly detected among MSSA (51/53 isolates harbouring PVL were MSSA, 96.2%) and associated with CC121, CC152, CC1 and CC5. TSST-1 was associated with CC8-spa t1476-SCCmec V. The immune evasion cluster (IEC) genes scn, sak and chp were detected in 81.5% of isolates (88/108, equally represented among MSSA and MRSA). The present study confirms the occurrence of MRSA with high levels of multidrug co-resistance and PVL-positive MSSA among invasive S. aureus isolates in Central Africa.

Epidemic increase in Salmonella bloodstream infection in children, Bwamanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Salmonella enterica is the leading cause of bloodstream infection in children in sub-Saharan Africa, but few data are available from Central-Africa. We documented during the period November 2011 to May 2012 an epidemic increase in invasive Salmonella bloodstream infections in HGR Bwamanda, a referral hospital in Equateur Province, DR Congo. Salmonella spp. represented 90.4 % (103 out of 114) of clinically significant blood culture isolates and comprised Salmonella Typhimurium (54.4 %, 56 out of 103), Salmonella Enteritidis (28.2 %, 29 out of 103) and Salmonella Typhi (17.5 %, 18 out of 103), with Salmonella Enteritidis accounting for most of the increase. Most (82 out of 103, 79.6 %) isolates were obtained from children < 5 years old. Median ages of patients infected with Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Enteritidis were 14 months (14 days to 64 years) and 19 months (3 months to 8 years) respectively. Clinical presentation was non-specific; the in-hospital case fatality rate was 11.1 %. More than two thirds (69.7 %, 53 out of 76) of children < 5 years for whom laboratory data were available had Plasmodium falciparum infection. Most (83/85, 97.6 %) non-typhoid Salmonella isolates as well as 6/18 (33.3 %) Salmonella Typhi isolates were multidrug resistant (i.e. resistant to the first-line oral antibiotics amoxicillin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and chloramphenicol), one (1.0 %) Salmonella Typhimurium had decreased ciprofloxacin susceptibility owing to a point mutation in the gyrA gene (Gly81Cys). Multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat (MLVA) analysis of the Salmonella Enteritidis isolates revealed closely related patterns comprising three major and four minor profiles, with differences limited to one out of five loci. These data show an epidemic increase in clonally related multidrug-resistant Salmonella bloodstream infection in children in DR Congo.

Antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens in Central Africa: a review of the published literature between 1955 and 2008.

A systematic review of the published literature on bacterial resistance in Central Africa between 1955 and 2008 was performed. Eighty-three publications from seven countries were retrieved, the majority presenting data on enteric and other gram-negative pathogens. Despite methodological limitations in many studies, alarming resistance rates are noted in nearly all pathogens. Of special concern are multidrug resistance in Shigella and Salmonella spp. and the emergence of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, high-level penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae and extended-spectrum beta-lactamases among gram-negative pathogens. These findings make clear that the Central African region shares the worldwide trend of increasing antimicrobial resistance and is in urgent need of sound surveillance based on competent and affordable microbiology to provide clear data on antimicrobial resistance. These data could enable redaction of local treatment guidelines and fuel national and regional policies to contain antimicrobial resistance.