title: Rate of colonization of health care workers by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in an endemic hospital: A prospective study.
abstract: The role of health care workers in transmission of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) has not been evaluated thoroughly. We sought to determine the rate of fecal carriage of CRE among health care workers in our hospital, which is endemic for CRE (prevalence of 19 out of 800 beds and incidence of 128 out of 49,325 hospital admissions). We found no carriers among the 177 health care workers that participated in the study, suggesting that transmission does not occur through personnel gastrointestinal carriage of the bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine B, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel. Electronic address: ro_oren@rambam.health.gov.il.
authors.forename: Roni
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bitterman
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Laboratory, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Yuval
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Geffen
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Galit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rabino
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Orna
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Eluk
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Sigal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Warman
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Adam S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Greenblatt
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine B, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; Division of Infectious Diseases, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Ami
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Neuberger
authors.affiliation: Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel; Hospital Management, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Shimon A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Reisner
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Khetam
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hussein
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Mical
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paul
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015780:Carbapenems / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004756:Enterobacteriaceae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006282:Health Personnel; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D018440:beta-Lactam Resistance
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015780:Carbapenems
keywords: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae; carriage; colonization; health care worker