How Long Does Shedding of ESBL-Producing E. coli Persist?

Five years of follow-up with 42 patients in Sweden revealed continued colonization in 5 patients and shedding for up to 39 months.

In 2005–2006, an outbreak of infections caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase–producing Escherichia coli (ESBL–E. coli) occurred in southern Sweden, a country with low prevalence of drug-resistant bacteria. The outbreak involved 27 individuals; 15 additional people with similar infections were identified during the outbreak investigation. Investigators have followed this cohort periodically and have just published their 5-year findings.

In September 2010, 5 of the 42 patients still carried ESBL–E. coli, 18 had had several consecutive negative cultures after shedding ESBL–E. coli for a median of 7.5 months (range, 0–39 months), 16 had died while still carrying ESBL–E. coli (median duration of carriage, 9 months; range, 0–38 months), and 3 h…

Reviewing Author

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection