Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Korea

Abstract

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) has emerged as a major problem of public health. By various resistance mechanisms including carbapenemase, there are few antibiotics to treat CRE infection. Therefore, an infection caused by CRE is associated with a higher mortality rate than those caused by other causative agents. By horizontal transmission of the carbapenemase-producing gene, resistance to carbapenem spreads to other organisms and multi-drug resistance could be induced. The incidence of CRE has increased, and many countries have been troubled with CRE outbreaks. The best way to manage and treat CRE is infection control and prevention against CRE. The aim of this paper is to describe the current status of CRE and clinical implication of CRE infection in Korea. The mechanism which induces resistance to carbapenem as well as carbapenemase-producing gene (a gene that could be transferred to other organisms and then induces resistance to carbapenem) make it difficult to treat CRE infection.