Antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, such as E. coli, are on the rise in Australia.
Researchers collected samples on non-hospitalised patients with urinary infections from 29 health centres around Australia in 2012. They tested 2,025 species of Escherichia coli (E. coli), 538 of Klebsiella and 239 of Enterobacter. The results were then compared with a previous study from 2008.
Overall, antibiotic multi-resistance (resistant to three classes of antibiotics) was found in 7.6% of E. coli samples compared with 4.5% four years earlier, 5.1% of Klebsiella (compared with 4.4%) and 5.4% of Enterobacter (4.2% in 2008).
This study showed antibiotic resistance in the general Australian population rather than hospitals. Antibiotic resistance is a significant issue for healthcare practitioners and their patients.
Read more at University of Adelaide