Healthcare-associated outbreaks of bacterial infections in Africa, 2009–2018: A review

Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a major global public health problem, increasing the transmission of drug-resistant infections. In Africa, the prevalence of HAIs among all hospital inpatients is estimated to be between 3% and 15%, but outbreaks are infrequently reported. Failure to detect and/or report outbreaks can increase the risk of ongoing infections and recurrent outbreaks. Methods: A search of the PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and other outbreak databases was performed to identify published literature on bacterial HAI outbreaks in Africa (January 2009 to December 2018). Details of the outbreak characteristics, hospital environment, and the control measures implemented were extracted. Results: Twenty-two studies published over the 10-year period were identified. These reported 31 distinct outbreaks and a total of 31 causative pathogens, including Klebsiella pneumoniae (six outbreaks, 19%), Staphylococcus aureus (six outbreaks, 19%), and Enterococcus (five outbreaks, 16%). Most outbreaks were reported from university (n = 8, 26%) and tertiary hospitals (n = 11, 55%), from South Africa (n = 9, 41%) and Tunisia (n = 4, 18%). Interventions to control the outbreaks were described in 27 (90%) outbreaks, and all instituted or recommended enhancing hand hygiene and education. Conclusions: Few facilities in Africa reported HAI outbreaks over the 10-year period, suggesting substantial under-detection and under-reporting. The quality and timeliness of reporting require improvement to ensure changes in public health practice.