Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli is a facultative anaerobic, Gram-negative, acid-forming bacterium.
Escherichia coli bacteria are the most common pathogens of nosocomial infections. They can cause a variety of diseases, including:
Urinary tract infections
Intestinal infections
Prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate)
Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gall bladder)
Wound infections
Pneumonia
Meningitis in newborns
Escherichia coli is prevalent worldwide. Non-pathogenic Escherichia coli are commensals of the oral cavity and intestinal tract and skin.
Relevance of pathogen in transmission in endoscopy
Gastroenterology: Very high
Pulmonology: High
Ear, nose, and throat: Not relevant
Urology: Very high
Relevance for endoscope surveillance
High concern organism
Transmission route
The pathogen is transmitted by the fecal–oral route via contaminated food or water. Contact infections via animals such as cattle, goats, sheep, and pigs can also occur.
Resistance to antibiotics
Escherichia coli shows high rates of decreased antimicrobial susceptibility, including to beta-lactams, carbapenems, aminoglycosides, and tetracyclines, through to panresistance.
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Escherichia coli, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/general/index.html (accessed on 02.22.2021).
Escherichia coli, Robert Koch-Institut, https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Infekt/Antibiotikaresistenz/nosokomiale_Erreger/E_coli.html (accessed on 06.22.2021).
Gries O, Ly T: Infektologie – Kompendium humanpathogener Infektionskrankheiten und Erreger, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2019.
Ross AS et al. A quarantine process for the resolution of duodenoscope-associated transmission of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli. Gastrointest Endosc 2015; 82:477–83.