{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,4]],"date-time":"2026-08-04T00:30:50Z","timestamp":1785803450901,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,2]],"date-time":"2026-01-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767312000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100010753","name":"National Health Laboratory Service","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["PR20005"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PR20005"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100010753","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"name":"Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and accessed through the WITS Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,2]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Neonatal mortality remains a global health challenge, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where infections often caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms are a leading cause of death. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of MDR ESKAPE pathogens and Candida auris colonization among hospitalized neonates in a non-outbreak setting, identify associated risk factors, and characterize antimicrobial resistance patterns. A cross-sectional sub-study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in South Africa between November and December 2020. A total of 258 rectal and skin swabs were collected from 86 neonates and cultured for ESKAPE organisms and C. auris. Isolated MDR organisms underwent further characterization. Of the 135 ESKAPE + C. auris isolates identified, 70.4% (95\/135) were MDR. Colonization with ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae was most common (65%, 56\/86), followed by XDR Acinetobacter baumannii. NDM-producing A. baumannii (5.8%) was more frequently detected than carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (3.9%). A prolonged hospital stay (median 14\u2009days, P\u2009&amp;lt;\u2009.001) was significantly associated with MDR colonization. Rectal and skin swabs provided comparable yields for Gram-negative MDR organisms. The high prevalence of MDR ESKAPE + C. auris colonization highlights the value of routine, non-invasive screening for surveillance in neonatal units. Enhanced infection control strategies and improved surveillance systems incorporating colonization swabs and clinical risk profiling are urgently needed.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/tropej\/fmaf051","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,21]],"date-time":"2025-11-21T13:30:59Z","timestamp":1763731859000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms colonizing neonates at a tertiary hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"72","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9031-7228","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nonkululeko","family":"Mntla","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of the Witwatersrand , Johannesburg, 2193,","place":["South Africa"]},{"name":"National Health Laboratory Services Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, , Johannesburg, 2193,","place":["South 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