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Araos Bralic, Rafael Ignacio

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Araos Bralic

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Rafael Ignacio

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  • Publication
    Antibiotic Consumption During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic and Emergence of Carbapenemase-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Lineages Among Inpatients in a Chilean Hospital: A Time-Series Study and Phylogenomic Analysis
    (2023) Allel, Kasim; Peters, Anne Sophie; Conejeros, José; Martínez, José; Spencer, Maria; Riquelme, Roberto; Rivas Jiménez, Lina María; Rojas, Pamela; Orellana, Cristian; García, Patricia; Araos Bralic, Rafael Ignacio; McGovern, Olivia; Patel, Twisha; Arias, Cesar; Lessa, Fernanda; Undurraga, Eduardo; Munita, Jose M.
    Background: The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on antimicrobial use (AU) and resistance has not been well evaluated in South America. These data are critical to inform national policies and clinical care. Methods: At a tertiary hospital in Santiago, Chile, between 2018 and 2022, subdivided into pre- (3/2018-2/2020) and post-COVID-19 onset (3/2020-2/2022), we evaluated intravenous AU and frequency of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE). We grouped monthly AU (defined daily doses [DDD]/1000 patient-days) into broad-spectrum β-lactams, carbapenems, and colistin and used interrupted time-series analysis to compare AU during pre- and post-pandemic onset. We studied the frequency of carbapenemase-producing (CP) CRE and performed whole-genome sequencing analyses of all carbapenem-resistant (CR) Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKpn) isolates collected during the study period. Results: Compared with pre-pandemic, AU (DDD/1000 patient-days) significantly increased after the pandemic onset, from 78.1 to 142.5 (P < .001), 50.9 to 110.1 (P < .001), and 4.1 to 13.3 (P < .001) for broad-spectrum β-lactams, carbapenems, and colistin, respectively. The frequency of CP-CRE increased from 12.8% pre-COVID-19 to 51.9% after pandemic onset (P < .001). The most frequent CRE species in both periods was CRKpn (79.5% and 76.5%, respectively). The expansion of CP-CRE harboring blaNDM was particularly noticeable, increasing from 40% (n = 4/10) before to 73.6% (n = 39/53) after pandemic onset (P < .001). Our phylogenomic analyses revealed the emergence of two distinct genomic lineages of CP-CRKpn: ST45, harboring blaNDM, and ST1161, which carried blaKPC. Conclusions: AU and the frequency of CP-CRE increased after COVID-19 onset. The increase in CP-CRKpn was driven by the emergence of novel genomic lineages. Our observations highlight the need to strengthen infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship efforts.
  • Publication
    Colonization with antibiotic resistant bacteria in communities and hospitals across six countries, including Bangladesh, Botswana, Chile, Guatemala, India, and Kenya
    (2025) Parra, Gemma; Lautenbach, Ebbing; Mosepele, Mosepele; Mannathoko, Naledi; Gross, Robert; Call, Douglas; Ramay, Brooke; Omulo, Sylvia; Girish, C P; Bhatnagar, Tarun; Chowdhury, Fahmida; Syeda Mah-E-Muneer; Araos Bralic, Rafael Ignacio; Munita, Jose M.; Acevedo, Johanna; Mahon, Garrett; Smith, Rachel; Styczynski, Ashley
    The recognized burden of antimicrobial resistance (AR) is greatest in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), but limitations in surveillance preclude accurate estimates of AR. We aimed to evaluate colonization in communities and hospitals across six LMICs for two clinically-important pathogens: extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales (ESCrE) and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE). Participants in hospitals and communities provided rectal swabs or stool samples for ESCrE and CRE identification. Isolates recovered from selective agars underwent confirmatory identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) using Vitek® 2, MALDI-TOF, and/or disc diffusion testing. ESCrE and CRE were defined based on established breakpoints of phenotypic resistance to third-generation cephalosporins and carbapenems, respectively, to calculate prevalence of colonization. Community prevalence estimates were weighted to account for sampling design differences. A total of 10,139 participants across the 6 countries provided samples; 63% were females with a median age of 35 years (range: 0-99). Colonization with ESCrE in hospitals was high in all sites (range 34-84%). In communities, ESCrE colonization ranged from 22 to 77%. Prevalence of CRE colonization in hospitals ranged from 7 to 36% and in communities ranged from < 1 to 14%. These findings reveal a high burden of AR colonization in LMICs in both communities and hospitals. Cost-effective strategies to reduce AR colonization burden are needed in LMICs.