25Fluoroquinolones (FQs) are uncommonly prescribed in children, yet pediatric multidrug-resistant 26 (MDR)-Enterobacteriaceae (Ent) infections often reveal FQ resistance (FQR). We sought to 27 define the molecular epidemiology of FQR and MDR-Ent in children. A case-control analysis of 28 children with MDR-Ent infections at 3 Chicago hospitals was performed. Cases were children 29 with third-generation-cephalosporin-resistant (3GCR) and/or carbapenem-resistant (CR)-Ent 30 infections. PCR and DNA analysis assessed bla and plasmid-mediated FQR (PMFQR) genes.
31Controls were children with 3GC and carbapenem susceptible-Ent infections matched by age, 32 source and hospital. We assessed clinical-epidemiologic predictors of PMFQR Ent infection.
33Of 169 3GCR and/or CR Ent isolates from children (median age 4.8 years), 85 were FQR; 56 34 (66%) contained PMFQR genes. The predominant organism was E. coli and most common bla 35 gene bla CTX-M-1 group . In FQR isolates, PMFQR gene mutations included aac6'1b-36 cr, oqxA/B, qepA, and qnrA/B/D/S in 83%, 15%, 13% and 11% of isolates, respectively. FQR E. 37 coli was often associated with phylogroup B2, ST43/ST131. On multivariable analysis,
38PMFQR Ent infections occurred mostly in outpatients (OR 33.1) of non-black-white-Hispanic 39 race (OR 6.5). Residents of Southwest Chicago were >5 times more likely to have PMFQR-40 Ent infections than those in the reference region, while residence in Central Chicago was 41 associated with a 97% decreased risk. Other demographic, comorbidity, invasive-device, 42 antibiotic use, or healthcare differences were not found. The strong association of infection with 43 MDROs showing FQR with patient residence rather than with traditional risk factors suggests 44 that the community environment is a major contributor to spread of these pathogens in children. 45 46 47 48 Multi-drug resistant (MDR) Enterobacteriaceae infections are associated with significant 49 morbidity and mortality and are an emerging problem in children in the US during the last 50 decade (1, 2). Globally, this has been attributed mainly to the rise in extended-spectrum beta 51 lactamase (ESBL) producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL Ent) and carbapenem-resistant 52 Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) (3, 4). Increasing resistance to several other classes of antibiotics was 53 found in these studies; including to the fluoroquinolones, a class of antibiotics with limited 54 indications for use in children (1, 2). 55 The CTX-M-ESBL harboring Escherichia coli are among the most common multi-drug 56 resistant organisms (MDROs), often possessing resistance genes to other important antibiotic 57 classes including aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, and trimethoprim-58 sulfamethoxazole (5, 6). In adults, fluoroquinolone resistance in (FQR) Gram-negative bacteria 59has been linked to chromosomal and to plasmid-mediated resistance mechanisms and is thought 60 to be associated mostly with the dramatic increase in use of these antibiotics during the 1980s(7, 61 8).
62The reasons f...