Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae infections in international travellers: a GeoSentinel analysis

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious global health issue that causes over 1 million deaths each year and threatens the effectiveness of modern medicines. This study focused on E. coli and K. pneumoniae infections in international travellers returning to clinics within a global travel network (GeoSentinel).

E. coli is a common cause of urinary tract infection s (UTIs) and K. pneumoniae can cause UTIs as well as infections in the lungs, liver and other parts of the body. We analysed data from travellers who visited GeoSentinel sites with travel-related E. coli or K. pneumoniae infections between 2015 and 2022. Our findings showed that 37% of travellers with E. coli infections and 28% of those with K. pneumoniae infections had isolates that were resistant to multiple drugs. The highest rates of resistance to antibiotics like cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones were seen among travellers to South-Central Asia.

This research highlights the growing challenge of treating these infections and the need for better tracking of drug-resistant infections in travellers.

Read more:

McGuinness SL, Muhi S, Nadimpalli ML, Babiker A, Theunissen C, Stroffolini G, Motta L, Gobbi F, Huits R, Libman M, Leder K; GeoSentinel Network. Patient characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae infections in international travellers: a GeoSentinel analysis. Journal of Travel Medicine. 2024 Jul 2:taae090. doi: 10.1093/jtm/taae090.