Emerging E. coli Strain Causes Many Antimicrobial-Resistant Infections in U.S.

	Tweet

A new, drug-resistant strain of E. coli is causing serious disease, according to a new study, now available online, in the August 1, 2010 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.

The new strain, ST131, was a major cause of serious antimicrobial-resistant E. coli infections in the United States in 2007, researchers found. This strain has been reported in multiple countries and encountered all over the United States.  In the study, researchers analyzed resistant E. coli isolates collected during 2007 from hospitalized patients across the country. They identified 54 ST131 isolates, which accounted for 67 percent to 69 percent of E. coli isolates exhibiting fluoroquinolone or extended-spectrum cephalosporin resistance.

“If we could discover the sources of this strain, the transmission pathways that allow it to spread so effectively, and the factors that have led to its rapid emergence, we could find ways to intervene and possibly slow or halt this strain’s emergence,” said study author James Johnson, MD, of the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis.

In the past, highly virulent E. coli strains usually have been susceptible to antibiotics, while highly resistant strains have been fairly weak in terms of their ability to cause disease.  The susceptible strains were easily treated even though they caused serious infections, while the resistant ones tended mostly to affect only weakened or vulnerable individuals. Now, the study’s findings suggest, the ST131 strain has appeared with a high level of virulence and antimicrobial resistance.

“If this strain gains one additional resistance gene,” Dr. Johnson added, “it will become almost untreatable and will be a true superbug, which is a very concerning scenario.”

###

Founded in 1979, Clinical Infectious Diseases publishes clinical articles twice monthly in a variety of areas of infectious disease, and is one of the most highly regarded journals in this specialty. It is published under the auspices of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Based in Arlington, Va., IDSA is a professional society representing more than 9,000 physicians and scientists who specialize in infectious diseases.

Contact Name: John Heys
Contact E-mail:
Contact Phone: 703-299-0412

RELATED STORIES:
West Nile fever more severe than formerly thought   Nigerian north will fight polio with vaccine - WHO   S. Africa to cull 2,200 ostriches in bird flu drive   A Scribbled Antibiotic Prescription Can’t Buy Patient Satisfaction   WHO: Asia on track to halt polio spread by year-end   Cholera outbreak kills 23 in eastern Congo   S. Africa says suspected Marburg case is malaria   Treatment for Advanced Hepatitis C Doesn’t Work   Studies expose bacterial secret for infecting body   Only 0.2% of asylum seekers have TB, Kent tests show   Bird flu can produce other diseases, doctors say   Simple policies could control a smallpox epidemic

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]