Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39885538›Full record

ArticleAntimicrobial resistance and infection control2025

Changing dynamics of bloodstream infections due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium in Germany, 2017-2023: a continued burden of disease approach.

Simon Brinkwirth, Marcel Feig, Ines Noll, Tim Eckmanns, Achim Dörre, Sebastian Haller, Niklas Willrich

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Antimicrobial resistance and infection control, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2026
    Review
  2. The global epidemiology of MRSA.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2026
    Review
  3. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Genomic epidemiology ofJournal of clinical microbiology · 2026
    Observational
  7. Characterization ofVeterinary sciences · 2026
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Simon BrinkwirthUnit 37: Healthcare-Associated Infections, Surveillance of Antibiotic Resistance and Consumption, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Seestraße 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
Marcel FeigUnit MF2: Domain Specific Data Competence Centre, Department of Methods Development, Research Infrastructure and Information Technology, Robert Koch Institute, Seestraße 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
Ines NollUnit 37: Healthcare-Associated Infections, Surveillance of Antibiotic Resistance and Consumption, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Seestraße 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
Tim EckmannsUnit 37: Healthcare-Associated Infections, Surveillance of Antibiotic Resistance and Consumption, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Seestraße 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
Achim DörreUnit 37: Healthcare-Associated Infections, Surveillance of Antibiotic Resistance and Consumption, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Seestraße 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
Sebastian HallerUnit 37: Healthcare-Associated Infections, Surveillance of Antibiotic Resistance and Consumption, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Seestraße 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
Niklas WillrichUnit 37: Healthcare-Associated Infections, Surveillance of Antibiotic Resistance and Consumption, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Seestraße 10, 13353, Berlin, Germany. WillrichN@rki.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAntimicrobial resistance is a global threat to public health, with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) being major contributors. Despite their clinical impact, comprehensive assessments of changes of the burden of bloodstream infections in terms of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) and attributable deaths over time are lacking, particularly in Germany.

methodsWe used data from the Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance system, which covered about 30% of German hospitals. Bloodstream infections were defined by a VREfm or MRSA-positive blood culture. We estimated incidences as a first step to further use these rates to calculate DALYs and attributable deaths using the Burden of Communicable Disease in Europe toolkit. The analysis included stratification by age, sex and region.

resultsFrom 2017 to 2023, 6262 MRSA and 5442 VREfm blood culture-positive isolates were identified. The incidence of MRSA bloodstream infections decreased from 4.0 to 2.1 per 100,000 population, with estimated DALYs decreasing from 14.6 to 8.6 per 100,000 and attributable deaths from 591 to 316. Conversely, VREfm-BSI incidence doubled from 1.7 to a peak of 3.0 (2021) before declining back to 1.7 per 100,000 in 2023, with estimated DALYs increasing from 8.9 to 16.5 and then decreasing to 8.5 per 100,000 and attributable deaths increasing from 317 to 327. Men and people over 60 years had the highest burden, with noticeable regional differences.

conclusionMRSA and VREfm bloodstream infections followed different trends in the past and now present a comparable burden in Germany. Both pathogens pose a significant threat, particularly to hospitalised older aged men. Our findings highlight the need for targeted prevention and continued surveillance of MRSA and VREfm to reduce infections and their impact.

Indexed as

BacteremiaEnterococcus faeciumGram-Positive Bacterial InfectionsMethicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureusStaphylococcal InfectionsVancomycin-Resistant EnterococciAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overChildChild, PreschoolCost of IllnessDisability-Adjusted Life YearsFemaleGermany

Identifiers

PMID39885538
PMCPMC11783909

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.