Long-Term Fecal Carriage of ESBL-Producing Klebsiella

Following a nosocomial outbreak, infants remained colonized for a median of 12.5 months and provided a reservoir for spread of the pathogen within the household.

The prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae is rising worldwide, and outbreaks in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are becoming more common. For infants colonized with these bacteria, little is known about the duration of fecal carriage or the risk for transmission to household contacts.

To explore this issue, researchers studied infants who were colonized with CTX-M-15–producing Klebsiella pneumoniae during an outbreak at a NICU and maternity ward in Norway. Fifty-one infants and 60 household contacts from 28 households were included. Median follow-up was 23 months; the median number of fecal samples from infants and household contacts was 12 and 11, respectively.

The median duration of colonizati…

Reviewing Author

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection