Per CDC:
Enterobacterales are a group of bacteria (germs) that are a normal part of the human and animal gut but can also cause infections. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are germs resistant to one or several antibiotics called carbapenems.
In 2017, CRE caused about 13,100 infections in hospital patients and about 1,100 deaths in the United States.
CRE can include germs like Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) if they develop resistance to carbapenems.
Signs and symptoms
Pneumonia
Bloodstream infections
Urinary tract infections
Wound infections
Meningitis
Who is at risk
Patients in healthcare settings are at most risk for CRE, especially those who:
Require devices like ventilators (breathing machines), urinary (bladder) catheters, or intravenous (vein) catheters.
Are taking long courses of certain antibiotics.
Have weakened immune systems.
Healthy people usually do not get CRE infections.
How it spreads
Person-to-person contact from dirty hands, wounds, or stool (poop).
Contaminated medical equipment and devices.
A few reports described spread between animals and humans and animal-to-animal spread.
In some cases, people or animals can carry the germs on or in their body without being infected, known as colonization.
Reducing risk
Take antibiotics exactly as your healthcare provider recommends.
Follow patient safety tips in healthcare settings.
Keep your hands clean.
To learn more visit: About Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales | CRE | CDC
