Molecular Surveillance of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria among Refugees from Afghanistan in 2 US Military Hospitals during Operation Allies Refuge, 2021

Abstract

In 2021, two US military hospitals, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, observed a high prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria among refugees evacuated from Afghanistan during Operation Allies Refuge. Multidrug-resistant isolates collected from 80 patients carried an array of antimicrobial resistance genes, including carbapenemases (blaNDM-1, blaNDM-5, and blaOXA-23) and 16S methyltransferases (rmtC and rmtF). Considering the rising transmission of antimicrobial resistance and unprecedented population displacement globally, these data are a reminder of the need for robust infection control measures and surveillance.

Keywords

• antimicrobial resistance
• bacteria
• infection control
• military medicine
• global health
• refugees