Carbapenemase-producing organism (CPO) infection or colonisation

Statutory notification

• Carbapenemase-producing organism (CPO) colonisation or infection is notifiable in Western Australia.
• See notifiable disease case definitions (Word 1.29MB).
• Private and public laboratories that identify carbapenem resistance are required to refer all isolates to the Microbiology Department, PathWest Laboratory Medicine Western Australia (LMWA) Gram-negative Typing Laboratory at the QE11 Medical Centre.
• See also description of Statutory medical notifications in Western Australia.

Public health management

Important information

• Infectious agent: CPO is a collective term that refers to any organisms of the order Enterobacteralesand genera Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas that have been identified to carry an acquired carbapenemase gene, including carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter baumannii complex (CPAB), carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) and carbapenemase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CPPA).
• Transmission: Person-to-person through direct contact with an infected or colonised person or the contaminated hands of a healthcare worker, or indirectly from contact with contaminated environmental surfaces or medical equipment.
• Incubation period:  Variable.
• Infectious period: As long as CPO is shed from the infected or colonised person.
• Case exclusion: Do not exclude. Healthcare facility patients colonised or infected with a CPO should be managed in a single room with dedicated bathroom facilities as per the Guidelines for the Screening and Management of Multi-resistant Organisms in Healthcare Facilities.
• Contact exclusion: Do not exclude.
• Treatment: Antibiotic treatment for clinical infection as recommended by the doctor.
• Immunisation: None available.
• Case follow-up: Is conducted by hospitals, and the Communicable Disease Control Directorate, as required.

Information for GPs and other healthcare providers 

• CPO (Carbapenemase-producing organisms)- information for consumers (Healthy WA)

Management in healthcare facilities

• Guidelines for the Screening and Management of Multi-resistant Organisms in Healthcare Facilities

Notifiable disease data and reports

Carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter baumannii complex (CPAB), carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) and carbapenemase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CPPA) infection or colonisation is a notifiable condition via laboratory notification in WA. Private and public laboratories are required to forward isolates of CPO to the PathWest Gram-negative Typing Laboratory for confirmatory testing, characterisation, and reporting. CPO surveillance data are therefore reported separately to other notifiable disease data.