International Travelers Acquire and Spread Resistant Enterobacteriaceae

Risk for acquisition was highest after travel to southern Asia; antibiotic use was strongly associated with carrying antimicrobial resistance genes.

Antimicrobial resistance due to transport between countries is a growing problem worldwide. In a prospective longitudinal study of Dutch international travelers and nontraveling household members, investigators assessed predictors for acquiring and spreading extended-spectrum β-lactamase–producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E). Participants submitted fecal samples before and up to 12 months after travel; they also completed questionnaires about possible risk factors. Presence of ESBL-E genes was confirmed by PCR and further characterized by sequencing for CTX-M groups.

Before travel, 6% of participants were already carrying ESBL-E. Among 1847 travelers with ESBL-E–negative fecal samples before travel who were sampled after return, 34% had acqu…

Reviewing Author

Mary E. Wilson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOneHealthTrust (formerly Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy); Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsJournal of Travel Medicine

Mary E. Wilson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOneHealthTrust (formerly Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy); Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsJournal of Travel Medicine

International Travelers Acquire and Spread Resistant Enterobacteriaceae

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Reviewing Author