High Proportion of Intestinal Colonization with Successful Epidemic Clones of ESBL-Producing Enterobacteriaceae in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Ecuador

Abstract

More than half of the neonates were colonized with ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae where the main risk factor for colonization was length of hospital stay. Two of the isolated clones were epidemic and known to disseminate carbapenemases. The results underline the necessity for improved surveillance and infection control in this context.