821. Changes in Cleaning Practices and Non-conventional Personal Protective Equipment Use due to SARS-CoV-2 and Association with Increases in Multi-drug Resistant Organism Cases

Background

During the pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), policy at a Minnesota hospital changed to state that environmental services would not clean rooms of patients with confirmed or suspected SARS-CoV-2 infections, requiring nursing staff to perform these duties. Investigation of a cluster of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) in patients hospitalized in the same or adjoining rooms on the medical intensive care unit (MICU) raised concern over whether SARS-CoV-2 cleaning practices and non-conventional personal protective equipment (PPE) use led to transmission of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs).

Methods

Infection Prevention conducts passive surveillance for MDRO acquisition in inpatient units. Passive surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 was performed early in the pandemic. Active surveillance SARS-CoV-2 testing on admission was initiated in July 2020 and active surveillance testing for admitted patients every 7 days was initiated in December. Incident cases of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-producing organisms (ESBL), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and CRE were determined for hospitalized patients between March 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021, excluding patients with infection on admission. Rates of hospitalized patients testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 per 100 patient days were compared to rates of patients testing positive for VRE, ESBL, MRSA, and CRE per 100 patient days respectively. The same rate comparisons were completed for the MICU. Using the F-Test Two-Sample to determine variance, the Two-Sample T-test assuming unequal variances was applied to each comparison.

Results

Correlation was significant between rates of SARS-CoV-2 and VRE (p< 0.005), ESBL (p< 0.005), MRSA (p< 0.005), and CRE (p< 0.005) (Table 1). MICU correlation was significant between rates of SARS-CoV-2 and VRE (p< 0.005), ESBL (p< 0.005), MRSA (p< 0.005), and CRE (p< 0.005) (Table 2).

Table 1: Two-sample T-test results assuming unequal variances: Hospital COVID rates per 100 patient days vs. rates of incident positive tests for VRE, ESBL, MRSA, and CRE per 100 patient days

Table 2: Two-sample T-test results assuming unequal variances: MICU COVID rates per 100 patient days vs. rates of incident positive tests for VRE, ESBL, MRSA, and CRE per 100 patient days

Conclusion

The relationships between the rates of SARS-CoV-2 and four MDROs were statistically significant. It can be inferred from this data that changes in hospital cleaning and non-conventional PPE use may have led to an increase in transmission of MDROs in this facility.

Disclosures

All Authors: No reported disclosures

Decreased Susceptibility to Azithromycin in Clinical Shigella Isolates Associated with HIV and Sexually Transmitted Bacterial Diseases, Minnesota, USA, 2012-2015

Shigellosis outbreaks caused by Shigella with decreased susceptibility to azithromycin (DSA-Shigella) among men who have sex with men (MSM) have been reported worldwide. We describe sexual health indicators and antimicrobial drug resistance for shigellosis cases in Minnesota, USA. We analyzed a sample of isolates received during 2012-2015 and cross-referenced cases with the Minnesota Department of Health Sexually Transmitted Disease Database to ascertain patients' HIV status and recent chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis infections. Of 691 Shigella isolates, 46 (7%) were DSA-Shigella; 91% of DSA-Shigella patients were men, of whom 60% were living with HIV. Among men, those with DSA-Shigella infection had greater odds of living with HIV, identifying as MSM, or having a recent diagnosis of a sexually transmitted disease. DSA-Shigella was associated with MSM, HIV infection, and recent sexually transmitted disease. To decrease spread of DSA-Shigella, interventions targeted at communities at high risk are needed.

486. Epidemiology of Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Identified through the Emerging Infections Program (EIP), United States, 2016–2018

Background

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is intrinsically resistant to many commonly used antimicrobials, and carbapenems are often required to treat infections. We describe the crude incidence, epidemiology, and molecular characteristics of carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa (CRPA) in the EIP catchment area.

Methods

From August 1, 2016 through July 31, 2018, we conducted laboratory- and population-based surveillance for CRPA in selected areas in eight sites. We defined a case as the first isolate of P. aeruginosa resistant to imipenem, meropenem, or doripenem from the lower respiratory tract, urine, wounds, or normally sterile sites identified from a resident of the EIP catchment area in a 30-day period. Patient charts were reviewed. Analysis excluded cystic fibrosis patients. A random sample of isolates was collected. Real-time PCR to detect carbapenemase genes and whole-genome sequencing are in progress.

Results

We identified 4,209 cases in 3373 patients. The annual incidence was 14.50 (95% CI, 14.07–14.94) per 100,000 persons and varied among sites from 4.89 in OR to 25.21 in NY. The median age of patients was 66 years (range: < 1–101), 42.1% were female, and nearly all (97.5%) had an underlying condition. Most cases were identified from urine (42.8%) and lower respiratory tract (35.7%) cultures. Nearly all (93.3%) occurred in patients with inpatient healthcare facility stay, surgery, chronic dialysis, or indwelling devices in the prior year; death occurred in 7.2%. Among 937 isolates tested, 847 (90.4%) underwent PCR; six (0.7%) harbored a carbapenemase, from four sites (CO, MD, NY, and OR): bla_VIM (3), bla_KPC (2), and bla_IMP (1). Of 612 (65.3%) isolates sequenced, the most common ST types were ST235 (9.2%) and ST298 (4.9%).

Conclusion

Carbapenemases were rarely the cause of carbapenem resistance but were found at EIP sites with high and low CRPA incidence. The emergence of mobile carbapenemases in P. aeruginosa has the potential to increase the incidence of CRPA. Increased detection and early response to carbapenemase-producing CRPA is key to prevent further emergence.

Disclosures

All authors: No reported disclosures.

Burdens of Invasive Methicillin-Susceptible and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Disease, Minnesota, USA

During August 1, 2014-July 31, 2015, in 2 counties in Minnesota, USA, incidence of invasive methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) (27.1 cases/100,000 persons) was twice that of invasive methicillin-resistant S. aureus (13.1 cases/100,000 persons). MSSA isolates were more genetically diverse and susceptible to more antimicrobial drugs than methicillin-resistant S. aureus isolates.

1162. Epidemiology of Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Identified Through the Emerging Infections Program (EIP), United States, 2016–2017

Background

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is intrinsically resistant to many commonly used antimicrobials and carbapenems are often required to treat infections. We describe the epidemiology and crude incidence of carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa(CRPA) in the EIP catchment area.

Methods

From August 1, 2016 through July 31, 2017, we conducted laboratory- and population-based surveillance for CRPA in selected metropolitan areas in Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Tennessee. We defined an incident case as the first isolate of P. aeruginosa-resistant to imipenem, meropenem, or doripenem from the lower respiratory tract, urine, wounds, or normally sterile sites identified from a resident of the EIP catchment area in a 30-day period. Patient charts were reviewed. A random sample of isolates was screened at CDC for carbapenemases using the modified carbapenem inactivation method (mCIM) and real-time PCR.

Results

During the 12-month period, we identified 3,042 incident cases among 2,154 patients. The crude incidence rate was 21.2 (95% CI, 20.4–21.9) per 100,000 persons and varied by site (range: 7.7 in Oregon to 31.1 in Maryland). The median age of patients was 64 years (range: <1–101) and 41.2% were female. Nearly all (97.1%) had at least one underlying condition and 10.2% had cystic fibrosis (CF); 17.8% of cases were from CF patients. For most cases, isolates were from the lower respiratory tract (49.2%) or urine (35.3%) and occurred in patients with recent hospitalization (87.2%) or indwelling devices (70.3%); 8.7% died. At the clinical laboratory, 84.7% of isolates were susceptible to an aminoglycoside and 66.4% to ceftazidime or cefepime. Among the 391 isolates tested, nine (2.3%) were mCIM-positive; one had a carbapenemase detected by PCR (bla_VIM-4).

Conclusion

The burden of CRPA varied by EIP site. Most cases occurred in persons with healthcare exposures and underlying conditions. The majority of isolates were susceptible to at least one first-line antimicrobial. Carbapenemase producers were rare; a more specific phenotypic definition would greatly facilitate surveillance for these isolates.

Disclosures

All authors: No reported disclosures.

Outbreak of Campylobacteriosis Associated with Raccoon Contact at a Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, Minnesota, 2013

Campylobacteriosis is an enteric illness caused by bacteria of the genus Campylobacter. There are approximately 900 culture-confirmed cases of campylobacteriosis reported annually to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Case patients are interviewed about risk factors, including foods eaten, recreational and drinking water exposures and animal contact. In September 2013, MDH identified two Campylobacter jejuni cases who reported working at the same wildlife rehabilitation centre before illness onset. This report describes the investigation, which used a case-control study design, and identified 16 additional ill persons, for a total of 18 ill persons. Both cases and controls reported working with a variety of animals, including squirrels, chipmunks, mice, raccoons, opossums, rabbits, songbirds, waterfowl and reptiles. In univariate analyses, contact with a number of different animal species was significantly associated with illness, including raccoons (odds ratio [OR], 11.1; P < 0.001), chipmunks (OR, 3.65; P = 0.01), opossums (OR, 4.38; P = 0.005), mice (OR, 4.18; P = 0.01) and rabbits (OR, 4.36; P = 0.003). In a multivariate model, contact with raccoons was the only exposure independently associated with illness (adjusted OR, 12.2; P = 0.01). Bacterial culture and subtyping of the outbreak strain of C. jejuni from raccoon faecal samples further implicated raccoons as the source of the outbreak. Not all of the cases reported handling raccoons, suggesting that environmental contamination contributed to transmission. MDH worked with the wildlife rehabilitation centre's management to strengthen biosecurity and infection control protocols.

Effects and clinical significance of GII.4 Sydney norovirus, United States, 2012-2013

During 2012, global detection of a new norovirus (NoV) strain, GII.4 Sydney, raised concerns about its potential effect in the United States. We analyzed data from NoV outbreaks in 5 states and emergency department visits for gastrointestinal illness in 1 state during the 2012-13 season and compared the data with those of previous seasons. During August 2012-April 2013, a total of 637 NoV outbreaks were reported compared with 536 and 432 in 2011-2012 and 2010-2011 during the same period. The proportion of outbreaks attributed to GII.4 Sydney increased from 8% in September 2012 to 82% in March 2013. The increase in emergency department visits for gastrointestinal illness during the 2012-13 season was similar to that of previous seasons. GII.4 Sydney has become the predominant US NoV outbreak strain during the 2012-13 season, but its emergence did not cause outbreak activity to substantially increase from that of previous seasons.