Multidrug-resistant intestinal germ spreads throughout Germany

Antibiotic resistance: Multidrug-resistant intestinal germ on the rise

Escherichia coli bacteria can cause dangerous gastrointestinal infections, which can sometimes even be fatal. Researchers have now discovered that a multidrug-resistant strain of this intestinal germ has been spreading rapidly in Germany for years. It can be dangerous especially for weakened patients.

Threat of multi-resistant germs

Resistant bacterial strains are a growing deadly threat. If the problem is not brought under control soon, researchers are threatened with a horror scenario. According to an older study by the Berlin Charité, there could be around ten million deaths by multi-resistant germs by 2050. Scientists at the University of Gießen have now found an Escherichia coli strain that is simultaneously insensitive to several antibiotics and has been spreading rapidly in this country for years.

Researchers at the University of Gießen have found an Escherichia coli strain that is simultaneously insensitive to several antibiotics. The dangerous bacteria have been spreading in Germany for years. (Image: jarun011 / fotolia.com)

Difficult to treat infections

The increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria leads to difficult-to-treat infections, especially in hospitals. Common triggers are the multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli bacteria, which have developed special enzymes to make the antibiotics ineffective.

Scientists at the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) at the University of Giessen have now studied these bacteria more precisely and found an Escherichia coli strain that has been spreading rapidly in Germany since 2010 and is simultaneously insensitive to several antibiotics.

The experts report on their findings in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Pathogens are particularly feared in clinics

As the DZIF states in a communication, Escherichia coli, or E. Coli for short, is one of the Gram-negative enterobacteria that are particularly at home in the human intestine.

Some strains can cause infections if they enter the rest of the body. In particular, in weakened patients can lead to bloodstream infections, wound or urinary tract infections.

Their treatment is becoming increasingly difficult because in the fight against antibiotics, E. coli bacteria and other enterobacteria have developed a defense mechanism:

They form enzymes that can render antibiotics ineffective: the so-called extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL). Through their mechanism, the bacterial pathogens are multiresistent and are particularly feared in clinics.

Bacterium spreads worldwide

"We need to keep an eye on a subgroup of a multi-drug resistant E. coli bacterium that we found in our recent study," said Prof. Trinad Chakraborty, director of the Institute of Medical Microbiology at Justus Liebig University (JLU) in New York Casting and coordinator at the DZIF site Gießen-Marburg-Langen.

This subgroup is currently spreading worldwide and has now been found in Germany.

In their study, the Giessen scientists investigated a total of nearly 1,000 isolates of ESBL-producing bacteria from humans, animals, the environment and food.

Their approach is in keeping with the One Health approach, which includes not only humans but also their environment in the investigations.

They specifically identified the genes for the beta-lactamases and searched for a subgroup that is already on the rise in other countries.

Responsible for millions of infections

It is a multidrug-resistant E. coli strain of the sequence type 131 (ST131), which is responsible for millions of infections worldwide, especially bloodstream infections and cystitis, and carries a relatively rare ESBL gene, blaCTX-M-27.

The search was successful: The researchers found E. coli ST131 CTX-M27 exclusively in human isolates and were able to prove that its incidence has risen from 0 percent in 2009 to 45 percent in 2016.

"This makes this E. coli strain with its specific ESBL gene an E. coli ST131 strain competition, which has been most frequently detected in Germany and carries another ESBL gene," said Dr. med. Can Imirzalioglu, scientist at the University of Giessen.

Further studies are needed to investigate the causes and clinical significance of this shift.

Nevertheless, the results show how important the use of modern methods such as genome sequencing is to observe such developments and, if necessary, to be able to react quickly. (Ad)