Hospital and Household Transmission of ESBL-Producing Enterobacteriaceae

In the non-outbreak setting, there is both hospital and household transmission of ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae. In the home, the rate of transmission exceeds 20%.

Extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae often underlie outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant infections. Initially, Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most commonly implicated pathogen, but Escherichia coli has risen in prominence, particularly in the community setting. Although many hospitals use contact isolation to control for the spread of ESBL-producing organisms, the effectiveness of this strategy is unclear, particularly in non-outbreak situations.

To explore this issue, researchers conducted a prospective, longitudinal study at a single medical center in Bern, Switzerland. Between May 2008 and September 2010, 48 inpatients and 34 outpatients were found to be newly colonized or infected with ESBL-producing organisms (…

Reviewing Author

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)