Patient characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae infections in international travellers: a GeoSentinel analysis.

Abstract

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health crisis, with Enterobacterales, including Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, playing significant roles. While international travel to low- and middle-income countries is linked to colonization with AMR Enterobacterales, the clinical implications, particularly the risk of subsequent infection, remain unclear due to limited data. We aimed to characterize E. coli and K. pneumoniae infections in travellers and the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of their isolates.

Methods: We analysed data on E. coli and K. pneumoniae infections in travellers collected at GeoSentinel sites between 2015 and 2022, focusing on epidemiological, clinical and microbiological characteristics. We defined multi-drug resistance (MDR) as non-susceptibility to agents from at least three drug classes.

Results: Over the 8-year period, we included 655 patients (median age 41 years; 74% female) from 57 sites in 27 countries, with 584 E. coli and 72 K. pneumoniae infections. Common travel regions included sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and South-Central Asia. Urinary tract infections predominated. Almost half (45%) were hospitalized. Among infections with antimicrobial susceptibility data across three or more drug classes, 203/544 (37%) E. coli and 19/67 (28%) K. pneumoniae demonstrated MDR. Over one-third of E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates were non-susceptible to third-generation cephalosporins and cotrimoxazole, with 38% and 28% non-susceptible to fluoroquinolones, respectively. Travellers to South-Central Asia most frequently had isolates non-susceptible to third-generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones and carbapenems. We observed increasing frequencies of phenotypic extended spectrum beta-lactamase and carbapenem resistance over time.

Conclusions: E. coli and K. pneumoniae infections in travellers, particularly those to Asia, may be challenging to empirically treat. Our analysis highlights the significant health risks these infections pose to travellers and emphasizes the escalating global threat of AMR. Enhanced, systematic AMR surveillance in travellers is needed, along with prospective data on infection risk post travel-related AMR organism acquisition.