Prevalence and Molecular Epidemiology of Carbapenem Resistant Gram-Negative Bacilli and their Resistance determinants in the Eastern Mediterranean Region over the Last Decade.

Abstract Carbapenem resistance in Enterobacteriaceae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa is increasing worldwide, which led the WHO to list these bacteria in the critical priority pathogens group. Infections with such pathogens pose a serious threat to hospitalized patients and is associated with clinical and economic consequences. What worsens the case is the weak pipeline of available antimicrobial agents to treat such infections and the absence of new drugs. The aim of this review is to shed light on all studies tackling carbapenem resistance in Enterobacteriaceae, A. baumannii, and P. aeruginosa in the Eastern Mediterranean region, with indication of each country, description of studies timeline, prevalence of carbapenem resistance, and carbapenem resistant encoding genes detected in these countries.