Abstract
Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) infections are increasing worldwide and have become a major public health threat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that “the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a surge in CRE infections as healthcare facilities have prioritized COVID-19 infection control, making routine infection prevention and control more difficult.” and the World Health Organization estimated 4.95 million people deaths worldwide in 2019 due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The annual number of CRE infection cases has been increasing by about 20–30%. In 2023, an analysis of CRE infection reports revealed a total of 38,405 cases, with 55.4% of patients being male. Most cases (65.2%) occurred in individuals aged 70 years and older. Among healthcare facilities, general hospitals had the highest reporting rate at 43.3%. In particular, the number of CRE infection reports in long-term care hospitals and the proportion of total reports increased every year, from 1,077 cases (7.0%) in 2019 to 5,815 cases (15.1%) in 2023. The primary bacteria identified were Klebsiella pneumoniae (72.4%) and Escherichia coli (14.1%). Among CRE infections, carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CP-CRE) infections accounted for 73.7% of all reported cases in 2023, with the proportion of CP-CRE infections steadily increasing every year. Therefore, this study analyzed CRE infection data reported through the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency system from 2019 to 2023, thereby providing important insights for the development of effective infection prevention and management strategies.