Elizabethkingia in the MENA region (2000–2024): a review of distribution, antimicrobial resistance, and clinical features

Abstract Elizabethkingia is a family of bacteria present in the environment causing infections that have emerged as a significant clinical concern in the Middle East and North Africa region. Despite sporadic reports and case studies, the epidemiology of Elizabethkingia—encompassing its prevalence, a...

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Main Authors: Abdallah Alhaj Sulaiman, Mouayad Zuheir Bakleh, Reem Ali, Mustapha Aouida, Dindial Ramotar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-08-01
Series:BMC Infectious Diseases
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-025-11420-5
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author Abdallah Alhaj Sulaiman
Mouayad Zuheir Bakleh
Reem Ali
Mustapha Aouida
Dindial Ramotar
author_facet Abdallah Alhaj Sulaiman
Mouayad Zuheir Bakleh
Reem Ali
Mustapha Aouida
Dindial Ramotar
author_sort Abdallah Alhaj Sulaiman
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Elizabethkingia is a family of bacteria present in the environment causing infections that have emerged as a significant clinical concern in the Middle East and North Africa region. Despite sporadic reports and case studies, the epidemiology of Elizabethkingia—encompassing its prevalence, antimicrobial resistance profiles, and clinical outcomes—remains largely anecdotal and fragmented. In this review, we systematically screened and analyzed the published literature to provide a comprehensive assessment of the distribution, antibiotic resistance characteristics, and clinical features of Elizabethkingia infections in different samples across the region. Our analysis consolidates existing evidence to highlight the true burden of Elizabethkingia and the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains. By identifying current gaps in data and standardization, this review aims to inform and engage clinicians, microbiologists, epidemiologists, and public health stakeholders in developing coordinated strategies to monitor, prevent, and manage these infections within a One Health framework.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1471-2334
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publishDate 2025-08-01
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series BMC Infectious Diseases
spelling doaj-art-310308d3ec2941b581527bca68fc4ef72025-08-24T11:10:16ZengBMCBMC Infectious Diseases1471-23342025-08-0125111310.1186/s12879-025-11420-5Elizabethkingia in the MENA region (2000–2024): a review of distribution, antimicrobial resistance, and clinical featuresAbdallah Alhaj Sulaiman0Mouayad Zuheir Bakleh1Reem Ali2Mustapha Aouida3Dindial Ramotar4Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar FoundationDivision of Genomics and Precision Medicine, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar FoundationDivision of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar FoundationDivision of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar FoundationDivision of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar FoundationAbstract Elizabethkingia is a family of bacteria present in the environment causing infections that have emerged as a significant clinical concern in the Middle East and North Africa region. Despite sporadic reports and case studies, the epidemiology of Elizabethkingia—encompassing its prevalence, antimicrobial resistance profiles, and clinical outcomes—remains largely anecdotal and fragmented. In this review, we systematically screened and analyzed the published literature to provide a comprehensive assessment of the distribution, antibiotic resistance characteristics, and clinical features of Elizabethkingia infections in different samples across the region. Our analysis consolidates existing evidence to highlight the true burden of Elizabethkingia and the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains. By identifying current gaps in data and standardization, this review aims to inform and engage clinicians, microbiologists, epidemiologists, and public health stakeholders in developing coordinated strategies to monitor, prevent, and manage these infections within a One Health framework.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-025-11420-5ElizabethkingiaAntimicrobial resistanceMENA region
spellingShingle Abdallah Alhaj Sulaiman
Mouayad Zuheir Bakleh
Reem Ali
Mustapha Aouida
Dindial Ramotar
Elizabethkingia in the MENA region (2000–2024): a review of distribution, antimicrobial resistance, and clinical features
BMC Infectious Diseases
Elizabethkingia
Antimicrobial resistance
MENA region
title Elizabethkingia in the MENA region (2000–2024): a review of distribution, antimicrobial resistance, and clinical features
title_full Elizabethkingia in the MENA region (2000–2024): a review of distribution, antimicrobial resistance, and clinical features
title_fullStr Elizabethkingia in the MENA region (2000–2024): a review of distribution, antimicrobial resistance, and clinical features
title_full_unstemmed Elizabethkingia in the MENA region (2000–2024): a review of distribution, antimicrobial resistance, and clinical features
title_short Elizabethkingia in the MENA region (2000–2024): a review of distribution, antimicrobial resistance, and clinical features
title_sort elizabethkingia in the mena region 2000 2024 a review of distribution antimicrobial resistance and clinical features
topic Elizabethkingia
Antimicrobial resistance
MENA region
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-025-11420-5
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