High Fecal Carriage of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase Producing Enterobacteriaceae by Children Admitted to the Pediatric University Hospital Complex in Bangui, Central African Republic

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health threat. Quality data on AMR are needed to tackle the rise of multidrug-resistant clones. These data are rare in low-income countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, we investigated the rise of extended-spectrum β-lactamase–producing (ESBL) Enterobacteriaceae in Bangui, Central African Republic. We collected 278 fecal samples from 0–5-year-old children admitted to the Pediatric University Hospital Complex in Bangui from July to September 2021. Enterobacteriaceae were isolated and identified, and their susceptibility to 19 antibiotics was tested. We recovered one and two Enterobacteriaceae species from 208 and 29 samples, respectively. One clone of each species from each sample was further characterized, for a total of 266 isolates. Escherichia coli predominated, followed by Klebsiella. AMR was frequent, with 98.5% (262/266) of the isolates resistant to at least one antibiotic. Additionally, 89.5% (238/266) of the isolates were multidrug resistant, with resistance being frequent against all tested antibiotics except carbapenems and tigecycline, for which no resistance was found. Importantly, 71.2% (198/278) of the children carried at least one ESBL species, and 85.3% (227/266) of the isolates displayed this phenotype. This study confirms the rise of ESBL Enterobacteriaceae in Bangui and stresses the need for action to preserve the efficacy of antibiotics, as crucial for the treatment of bacterial infections.