High rates of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among asylum seekers and refugees admitted to Helsinki University Hospital, 2010 to 2017

INTRODUCTION: Antimicrobial resistance is increasing rapidly in countries with low hygiene levels and poorly controlled antimicrobial use. The spread of resistant bacteria poses a threat to healthcare worldwide. Refugees and migrants from high-prevalence countries may add to a rise in multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in low-prevalence countries. However, respective data are scarce. METHODS: We retrospectively collected microbiological and clinical data from asylum seekers and refugees treated at Helsinki University Hospital between January 2010 and August 2017. RESULTS: Of 447 asylum seekers and refugees (Iraq: 46.5%; Afghanistan: 10.3%; Syria: 9.6%, Somalia: 6.9%); 45.0% were colonised by MDR bacteria: 32.9% had extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-PE), 21.3% meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), 0.7% carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE), 0.4% multiresistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MRPA), 0.4% multiresistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MRAB); no vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) were found. Two or more MDR bacteria strains were recorded for 12.5% of patients. Multivariable analysis revealed geographical region and prior surgery outside Nordic countries as risk factors of MRSA colonisation. Young age (< 6 years old), short time from arrival to first sample, and prior hospitalisation outside Nordic countries were risk factors of ESBL-PE colonisation. CONCLUSION: We found MDR bacterial colonisation to be common among asylum seekers and refugees arriving from current conflict zones. In particular we found a high prevalence of MRSA. Refugees and migrants should, therefore, be included among risk populations requiring MDR screening and infection control measures at hospitals.