Burkholderia cenocepacia outbreak linked to taps in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Background: Burkholderia cenocepacia complex is an important cause of hospital acquired infections. We describe the management of an outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) due to tap colonisation.

Methods: Microbiological testing of touch (n = 26) and non-touch taps (n = 28), sinks and drains, including genomic sequencing of selected isolates.

Buruli ulcer in Australia: Evidence for a new endemic focus at Batemans Bay, New South Wales.

We describe two locally acquired cases of Mycobacterium ulcerans infection (Buruli ulcer) in the town of Batemans Bay on the east coast of New South Wales (NSW), Australia, 150 km north of Eden, the only other place in NSW where Buruli ulcer has likely been locally acquired. Genomic analysis showed that the bacterial isolates from the cases were identical but belonged to a phylogenetically distinct M. ulcerans clade that was most closely related to the isolate from the earlier case in Eden to the south.

Successful management of a multi-species outbreak of carbapenem-resistant organisms in Fiji: a prospective genomics-enhanced investigation and response.

Background: Fiji is a Pacific Island nation grappling with the increasing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). While genomic technologies are increasingly utilised to understand the emergence and spread of AMR globally, its application to inform outbreak responses in low- and middle-income settings has not been reported.

Methods: Through an established capacity building program, suspected carbapenem-resistant organisms (CRO) identified at Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Fiji (Jan 2022-Oct 2023) underwent whole genome sequencing and analysis.

High incidence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Bhutan: A cohort study based on national TB surveillance data.

Objectives: The emergence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has made the elimination of TB difficult. Currently, there are limited data on MDR-TB and other drug-resistant TB in Bhutan. We aimed to estimate the incidence and explore the potential risk factors associated with MDR/pre-extensively drug-resistant (pre-XDR)-TB using comprehensive national TB data.