Prevalence and spread of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli including ST131 in different patient populations in the Euroregion Meuse-Rhine

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the prevalence and genetic background of Escherichia coli collected from different patient populations in the Euroregion Meuse-Rhine. Materials & methods: Susceptibility testing was performed on 1651 E. coli isolates with broth microdilution. Their genetic background was determined using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing. Results: The prevalence of resistance varied significantly between the populations. Approximately 10% of the E. coli isolates were multidrug-resistant and/or a β-lactamase producer. The most prevalent extended-spectrum β-lactamase type was CTX-M-15 and ST131 was the most prevalent multilocus sequence typing type. Results from pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of the ST131 isolates indicate the spread of these isolates in the Euroregion. Conclusion: E. coli ST131 was the most prevalent sequence type in our Euroregional study. It is essential to control the spread of these resistant strains (e.g., with infection-control policies, antibiotic stewardship programs and antibiotic resistance surveillance). In this way we could observe shifts in the prevalence of resistance of the E. coli population and act accordingly.