National point prevalence survey of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use in French home care settings, May to June 2012.

In May and June 2012, a national point prevalence survey (PPS) of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial use was conducted among French patients under home-based hospital care (HBHC). Data from 5,954 patients in 179 volunteer HBHC providers were collected. Prevalence of patients with at least one active HAI was 6.

Surveillance for outbreaks of gastroenteritis in elderly long-term care facilities in France, November 2010 to May 2012.

This article describes outbreaks of gastroenteritis in elderly long-term care facilities (LTCF) in France from November 2010 to May 2012 reported through the surveillance system for gastroenteritis outbreaks in LTCF. A total of 1,072 outbreaks were reported, causing 26,551 episodes of illness and 60 deaths. The median attack rate (AR) among residents was 32%.

Improving prediction of surgical site infection risk with multilevel modeling.

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) surveillance is a key factor in the elaboration of strategies to reduce SSI occurrence and in providing surgeons with appropriate data feedback (risk indicators, clinical prediction rule).

Aim: To improve the predictive performance of an individual-based SSI risk model by considering a multilevel hierarchical structure.

Patients And Methods: Data were collected anonymously by the French SSI active surveillance system in 2011.

Benchmarking French regions according to their prevalence of healthcare-associated infections.

Objective: To propose an original method of benchmarking regions based on their prevalence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and to identify regions with unusual results.

Design: To study between-region variability with a three-level hierarchical logistic regression model and a Bayesian non-parametric method.

Setting: French 2006 national HAIs point prevalence survey.

[Increasing incidence of scabies in France, 1999-2010, and public health implications].

Introduction: Scabies is a contagious parasitic infestation that is benign in most cases; however, delay in diagnosis and treatment can cause numerous problems for patients and people in their vicinity, as well as a risk of secondary spread. Following numerous reports suggesting increased incidence of scabies in France, we analysed various available indicators.

Methods: We analysed spontaneous and mandatory reports submitted to public health bodies as well as sales figures for scabies treatments in France over the period between 1999 and 2010.

[Non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections related to esthetic care in France, 2001-2010].

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections usually occur in immunocompromised patients but also in immunocompetent patients following invasive procedures, especially for esthetic purposes. Since 2001, 20 episodes (57 cases) of NTM infections, seven of which (43 cases) were related to esthetic care, have been reported to the regional infection control coordinating centers (RICCC), the local health authorities (LHA), and the national institute for public health surveillance. Four notifications (40 cases) were related to non-surgical procedures performed by general practitioners in private settings: mesotherapy, carboxytherapy, and sclerosis of microvaricosities.

Changing trends in vancomycin-resistant enterococci in French hospitals, 2001-08.

Objectives: Unprecedented outbreaks of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) have occurred in French hospitals since 2004. The aim of this study was to provide a picture of the spread and control of VRE in France and to characterize the isolates.

Methods: Notification of VRE cases to Institut de Veille Sanitaire has been mandatory since 2001.

Control of a regional outbreak of vanA glycopeptide-resistant Enterococcus faecium, Eastern France, 2004-2009.

At the end of 2004, an outbreak of glycopeptide-resistant enterococci (GRE) spread from the Nancy Teaching Hospital to more than 40 facilities in the Lorraine region. Because this outbreak appeared to be uninhibited, a regional task force was set up to organize and co-ordinate the management of the outbreak, visiting the affected facilities to publicize the existing recommendations and take stock of the problems encountered in the field. The task force then proposed control measures specific to the region.

Control of a multi-hospital outbreak of KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae type 2 in France, September to October 2009.

An outbreak of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae type 2 was detected in September 2009 in two hospitals in a suburb south of Paris, France. In total, 13 KPC-producing K. pneumoniae type 2 cases (four with infections and nine with digestive-tract colonisations) were identified, including a source case transferred from a Greek hospital.

Nationwide pseudo-outbreak of Salmonella enterica ssp. diarizonae, France.

To investigate an increased incidence of human cultures growing Salmonella enterica ssp. diarizonae serotype 61:k:1,5,7 in France in 2008, we reviewed medical records of case patients and identified the material used during invasive procedures and for bacterial culture. Trace-back investigations incriminated culture media containing contaminated sheep blood agar.

Relationship between the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection and indicators of nosocomial infection control measures: a population-based study in French hospitals.

Objective: To assess whether infection control indicators are associated with the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in French hospitals.

Methods: We linked the database for the 2006 national prevalence survey of nosocomial infection with the database of infection control indicators (comprised of ICALIN, an indicator of infection control organization, resources, and action, and ICSHA, an indicator of alcohol-based handrub consumption) recorded from hospitals by the Ministry of Health. Data on MRSA infection were obtained from the national prevalence survey database and included the site and origin of infection, the microorganism responsible, and its drug resistance profile.

Reducing surgical site infection incidence through a network: results from the French ISO-RAISIN surveillance system.

Surgical-site infections (SSIs) are a key target for nosocomial infection control programmes. We evaluated the impact of an eight-year national SSI surveillance system named ISO-RAISIN (infection du site opératoire - Réseau Alerte Investigation Surveillance des Infections). Consecutive patients undergoing surgery were enrolled during a three-month period each year and surveyed for 30 days following surgery.

[Staphylococcus aureus carrying Panton-Valentine leukocidin genes nasal colonization and skin infection: screening in case of outbreak in a school environment].

Objectives: An outbreak of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) carrying the gene coding for Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) skin infections in a primary school was investigated and monitored in the Val-d'Oise region (Greater Paris) in 2006.

Patients And Methods: Skin infections reported after the beginning of the school year in primary-school teachers, students and their relatives were diagnosed and treated at the local hospital and screening for nasal colonization was implemented. A patient presenting with folliculitis, an abscess or furuncle with a positive-skin test or nasal swab for SA-PV was considered to be a case of infection.

A cluster of Vibrio cholerae O1 infections in French travelers to Rajasthan (India), May 2006.

A woman aged 60 years was hospitalized for Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1 cholera. Twenty-six fellow travelers and 48 health care workers who cared for the patient were individually traced and contacted. Of the 23/27 travelers with diarrhea during the trip, 4 presented antibodies.

An evaluation of data quality in a network for surveillance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistance to antituberculosis drugs in Ile-de-France region-2001-2002.

We evaluated the French Azay-Mycobacteria network for surveillance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug resistance by matching data with those collected through the mandatory notification (MNTB). Sensitivity of Azay was 96% by capture-recapture analysis. Cases reported to MNTB were more often smear-positive than non-reported cases.

Outbreak of tuberculosis in a migrants' shelter, Paris, France, 2002.

Setting: An overcrowded 362-bed migrants' shelter in Paris, France.

Objectives: To investigate an outbreak of tuberculosis (TB), to identify a common source of contamination and to prevent further transmission.

Methods: The outbreak was identified by radiographic screening and an active search for undeclared hospital treated cases, completed by strain phenotyping and a search for contact cases.

Norovirus foodborne outbreaks associated with the consumption of oysters from the Etang de Thau, France, December 2002.

In January 2003, the Institut de Veille Sanitaire received notification of clusters of gastroenteritis (GE) thought to be associated with consumption of oysters harvested from Etang de Thau in the south of France. At the same time Italy reported an outbreak (200+ cases) associated with oysters from the Etang de Thau. An investigation was carried out to determine the source and vehicle of the outbreaks.