Current Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistance in Okayama from a National Database between 2018 and 2021

Antimicrobial resistance is an emerging global threat that must be addressed using a multidisciplinary approach. This study aimed to raise awareness of high-level antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) pathogens in Japan by comparing their recent prevalences among prefectures, particularly Okayama. Data for the isolation proportions of meropenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, cefotaxime-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and levofloxacin-resistant E. coli and K. pneumoniae were collected from the Japan Nosocomial Infections Surveillance, a national database sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, between 2018 and 2021. The average isolated proportions of the seven AMR pathogens were higher in Okayama compared to other prefectures: the worst (19.9%) was meropenem-resistant P. aeruginosa, the sixth worst (57.2%) was methicillin-resistant S. aureus, the eighth worst (3.3%) was vancomycin-resistant E. faecium, the second (37.8%) and fifth worst (17.6%) were cefotaxime-resistant E. coli and K. pneumoniae, respectively, and the fourth (49.9%) and third worst (8.7%) were levofloxacin-resistant E. coli and K. pneumoniae, respectively. Our study highlights the notably high prevalences of representative AMR pathogens in Okayama, suggesting the need for fundamental infection prevention and control by healthcare professionals, promoting antimicrobial stewardship, and educating undergraduates and postgraduates in Okayama.