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Pseudomonas spp and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia bacteraemia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 2006 to 2010

This report contains data voluntarily reported to the Health Protection Agency for bacteraemias due to Pseudomonas spp., Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and other related species in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland from 2006 to 2010. These analyses are based on data extracted from our voluntary surveillance database on the 24 June 2011. The data presented here differ in some instances from data in earlier publications due to the addition of late reports to the database.

  • From 2006 to 2008, there was an 8% increase in the number of Pseudomonas spp. bacteraemias reported to the HPA (3,679 reports in 2006 compared with 3,957 reports in 2008), followed by a 4% reduction to 3,807 reports in 2010. This decrease is marginally larger than the 3% decrease in reports for all bacteraemia between 2008 (94,586 reports) and 2010 (91,306 reports).
  • In 2010, 90% of Pseudomonas spp. isolates from bacteraemia were identified to species level (3,432 reports), with 93% of these identified as P. aeruginosa.
  • For S. maltophilia bacteraemia, there was a 41% decrease in the number of bacteraemias reported to the HPA between 2006 and 2010 (453 reports in 2010 compared with 774 in 2006).
  • The overall incidence in 2010 for Pseudomonas spp. bacteraemia was 6.7 cases/100,000 population in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. As the data were obtained via a voluntary surveillance system, this incidence figure will be a slight under-estimate of the true incidence in the UK. The data captured by the mandatory surveillance reporting system for Staphlococcus aureus reports in England suggests that the voluntary surveillance system captures ~80% of all reports (Note: Wales and Northern Ireland do not take part in the English mandatory surveillance scheme). Infections were reported significantly more among those aged 65 years and older, especially among male patients.
  • Although there was a small statistically significant (P<0.0005) P. aeruginosa remained stable during this period (ceftazidime [8%], imipenem [12%], meropenem [9%], gentamicin [5%] or piperacillin/tazobactam [7%]).
  • The overall incidence in 2010 for S. maltophilia bacteraemia was 0.8 cases/100,000 population in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. S. maltophilia was reported more frequently for male patients 64 years old. There were no significant changes in nonsusceptibility to cotrimoxazole (5%).

 

Full report:Pseudomonas spp. and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia bacteraemia in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, 2006 to 2010 (PDF, 145 KB)

 

Previous report:

Pseudomonas spp. and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia bacteraemia in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, 2005 to 2009 (PDF, 240 KB)

 

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the valuable contributions of our colleagues in laboratories across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and, the support from colleagues within the Health Protection Agency’s Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring and Reference Laboratory. Feedback and specific queries about this report are welcome and can be sent to hcai.amrdivision@hpa.org.uk.


Last reviewed: 14 July 2011