Antimicrobial-resistant E. coli in human, animal and environmental reservoirs in rural Bangladeshi households with young children

A study examined the presence of antibiotic-resistant E. coli (ESBL-EC) in 112 households in rural Bangladesh with 6-month-old children. The highest prevalence of ESBL-EC was found in child stool (95.6%) and animal feces (82.3-96.9%), followed by soil (48.2%) and floors (36.6%), while less than 10% of food, child hands, and drinking water contained this bacterium. Researchers found that better-equipped latrines (with slab and flush) were associated with lower ESBL-EC presence, while unsafe animal management (animals roaming freely or sleeping indoors) was associated with higher presence. High colonization of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in young children and domestic animals was not explained by traditional fecal-oral transmission routes. The results suggest the need for further research focused on alternative transmission pathways and assessment of improvements in sanitation and animal management effectiveness.